People in 8 states should be aware of signs of another tick-borne illness as cases rise, CDC says

• People in eight states should be aware of signs of another tick-borne illness as cases increase, the CDC said.

• Babesiosis is caused by tiny parasites that infect red blood cells and are transmitted by certain ticks.

• The disease can range from mild illness with no symptoms to severe illness with multiple organ failure.

People in eight states should know the signs of the tick-borne disease babesiosis, as cases increase, This was announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

babesiosis Cases are increasing in the Northeast (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont) and the disease is new endemic in three of those states (Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont), according to a CDC report based on data collected in 10 states between 2011 and 2019.

“Public members and healthcare providers in babesiosis-endemic states and adjacent states should be aware of the clinical signs of babesiosis and the risk factors for babesia infection,” the CDC said in the report released Friday.

The latest report comes amid a 25% increase in the number of tick-borne disease cases in the US overall, including lyme disease, said the CDC. Aaccording to CDC, The number of reported babesiosis cases increased from 40,795 in 2011 to 50,856 in 2019.

Babesiosis is usually transmitted by black-legged ticks

According to the report, most babesiosis cases are in the United States caused by tiny parasites Spread by black-legged ticks called Ixodes scapularis in northeastern and midwestern states. People can also become infected through contaminated blood transfusions and organ transplants from infected donors. Babies can get it from mothers with babesiosis.

The disease, first identified on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts in 1969, can progress from mild illness with no symptoms to severe illness multiple organ failure.

dr Peter Krause, senior research scientist at the Yale School of Public Health, who was not involved in the CDC study, said NBC that the CDC report highlights “an unfortunate milestone in the emergence of babesiosis in the United States.”

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“More cases mean more disease, and indeed some people die,” he said. According to Kruse, the disease has an overall fatality rate of about 1% to 2%.

People who contract the disease through blood transfusions are more likely to die than those who get it from a tick bite, the CDC report said.

The severity of an infection also depends on a person’s immunity. For example, for those who are, the condition is more likely to be life-threatening immunocompromised, including the elderly.

People without flu-like symptoms don’t need treatment

People without symptoms usually don’t need treatment, but those with a more severe illness can be treated with antimicrobial drugs. Symptoms are often non-specific and include: fever, muscle or joint pain, nausea and headache, according to CDC.

According to a review about babesiosis, which was published last year, it can take one to six weeks for symptoms to appear after the parasite infects a person, and about 20% of adults and half of children who get the disease don’t get symptoms .

It could be babesiosis in states where cases are not reported

The CDC said 37 states reported a total of 16,456 cases between 2011 and 2019, including 16,174 (98.2%) from the 10 states included in the analysis.

The CDC said the number of cases could be higher. That’s because not all states, like Pennsylvania, record them and people without symptoms often go untested. The data also does not reliably reflect where a person contracted the disease, for example if they traveled to a state, as cases are reported by where a person lives.

“Individuals who spend time outdoors in babesiosis-endemic states should practice tick bite prevention, including wearing long pants, avoiding undergrowth and tall grass, and using tick repellents,” the CDC said.

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