IDSA Releases Guideline for Diagnosis and Management of Babesiosis
A new evidence-based clinical practice guideline for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the worldwide disease caused by Babesia parasites has been published in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Providing current standards of diagnosis and management of human babesiosis, the 2020 Guideline on Diagnosis and Management of Babesiosis was developed by a multidisciplinary panel convened by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. It is based on a rigorous review of the best available scientific information. The guideline is designed to facilitate clinical decision-making and improve patient outcomes.
Transmitted by hard-bodied ticks, more than 100 species of Babesia infect a variety of wild and domestic animals. The disease has long been known to significantly sicken livestock in many parts of the world.
A subset of Babesia species infect humans, one of which results in the more than 2,000 cases of human babesiosis reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention annually—but there is strong evidence that this number underestimates the true number of cases and that cases are increasing. Tick bite by the same tick species that transmits Lyme disease is the most common route of transmission, but the disease also can be transmitted through blood transfusion, organ donation, and transplacentally from a pregnant woman to their infant.
IDSA’s guideline provides practical recommendations for primary care physicians and specialists treating the condition, including infectious diseases specialists, emergency physicians, intensivists, internists, pediatricians, hematologists and transfusion medicine specialists.
An increase in the white-tailed deer and vector tick populations, as well as increased recognition of the disease, have been identified as probable causes for the emergence of babesiosis both in number of cases and geographic range. Unlike the erythema migrans rash of Lyme disease, a related tick-borne illness, babesiosis has no characteristic clinical feature. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, chills, sweats, headache, muscle aches, and anorexia. The fatality rate estimates range from 3 to 20%, depending on the immune status of the host.
About IDSA
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) is a community of over 12,000 physicians, scientists, and public health experts who specialize in infectious diseases. Its purpose is to improve the health of individuals, communities, and society by promoting excellence in patient care, education, research, public health, and prevention relating to infectious diseases. Learn more at https://www.idsociety.org/.