title: A case of severe babesiosis treated successfully with exchange transfusion.
abstract: Babesiosis is a zoonotic disease that may be asymptomatic or result in severe clinical conditions, with severe hemolysis, hepatic, and renal failure, in humans. Clinical symptoms depend on the species and immune status of the host. The disease is especially severe in those of advanced age, those with an immune deficiency, and the splenectomized. A severe case of babesiosis that developed in a splenectomy patient is presented here; the patient was admitted from a rural region with severe anemia and a deterioration in her general condition, with an initial diagnosis of malaria. In such situations, an exchange transfusion (ET), in addition to antimicrobial treatment, could be lifesaving.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun 55139, Turkey. Electronic address: estanyel@yahoo.com.tr.
authors.forename: Esra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tanyel
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Guler
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Microbiology, Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hokelek
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ulger
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun 55139, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sunbul
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005078:Exchange Transfusion, Whole Blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis; D013156:Splenectomy
keywords: Babesia divergens; Exchange transfusion; Severe babesiosis; Treatment