Clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of human babesiosis: a review / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

ABSTRACT

Babesiosis is an important tick-transmitted zoonosis caused by hematotropic parasites of the genus Babesia, zoonosis disease, which is widely distributed across the world. There are 12 species of Babesia causing human diseases, including B. microti, B. divergens, B. venatorum and B. duncani. The clinical symptoms of human Babesia infections mainly include fever, headache, chills, myalgia and fatigue, and severe infections may cause death. The diagnosis of babesiosis mainly depends on laboratory testing combined with clinical manifestations and epidemiological surveys, and the diagnostic techniques mainly include microscopic examinations of the blood smears, serological tests and molecular biological assays. Currently, azithromycin-atova-quone or clindamycin-quinine combinations are common treatments for babesiosis. This review summarizes the clinical features following human infections with various species of Babesia, the diagnostic techniques and diagnostic criteria of babesiosis and the currently available treatments for babesiosis.