The aims of this study were to determine the presence of
Babesia spp. in blood samples from Italian dogs with clinical signs compatible with tick-borne diseases by means of PCR-restriction fragment ...length polymorphism (RFLP) and describe the clinicopathological findings of dogs with
Babesia infection. We evaluated the majority of canine babesiosis cases by means of clinical history, physical examination, hematological, biochemical, serum electrophoresis, urinalysis and hemostatic tests. Forty-five out of 164 canine blood samples studied were positive to
Babesia PCR-RFLP with the following results:
Babesia canis canis (
n
=
34) and
Babesia canis vogeli (
n
=
11). The majority of
B. c. canis infections were detected in Northern Italy (29.1%; 30/103).
B. c. vogeli cases were detected mainly in Central and Southern Italy (16.3%; 10/61). Only one
B. c. vogeli was detected in Northern Italy (0.9%; 1/103). Three positive samples to
B. c. canis and four positive samples to
B. c. vogeli were selected for sequencing of a fragment of the 18S rRNA gene (410
bp) for further molecular characterization. The sequence obtained from all seven dogs was 99/100% homologous to sequences from
B. c. canis and
B. c. vogeli, respectively, present in GenBank. Sixty-two percent of dogs infected with
B. c. canis had recently travelled on a hunting trip to East European countries. The main acute clinical signs were dehydration, apathy, anorexia and fever. The majority of dogs infected with
B. c. canis presented at initial clinical examination mild to severe thrombocytopenia, hyperfibrinogenemia, mild to moderate normocytic-normochromic non-regenerative anemia, hemolysis and neutropenia. The urinalysis showed hemoglobinuria in 13/19 dogs suggesting intravascular hemolysis. Dogs with
B. c. canis infection had high levels of C-reactive protein. Hypoalbuminemia was present in 17/26 dogs. The 11 cases of
B. c. vogeli infection did not present a homogenous clinicopathological pattern.
B. c. vogeli infections were observed in young dogs causing hemolytic anemia and in adult/old does that frequently presented predisposing factors such as splenectomy or immunocompromised conditions. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the presence of
B. c. canis and
B. c. vogeli in Italian sick dogs and differences in clinicopathological pattern in these two species of
B. canis.
Management strategies for human babesiosis Smith, Robert P; Hunfeld, Klaus-Peter; Krause, Peter J
Expert review of anti-infective therapy,
07/2020, Letnik:
18, Številka:
7
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Human babesiosis is reported throughout the world and is endemic in the northeastern and northern Midwestern United States and northeastern China. Transmission is primarily through hard bodied ticks. ...Most cases of severe disease occur in immunocompromised individuals and may result in prolonged relapsing disease or death.
We provide a summary of evidence supporting current treatment recommendations for immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals experiencing babesiosis.
Most cases of human babesiosis are successfully treated with atovaquone and azithromycin or clindamycin and quinine. Severe disease may require prolonged treatment.
Babesia microti causes "emergency" human babesiosis. However, little is known about the alterations in B. microti invaded red blood cells (Bm-RBCs) at the individual cell level. Through quantitative ...phase imaging techniques based on laser interferometry, we present the simultaneous measurements of structural, chemical, and mechanical modifications in individual mouse Bm-RBCs. 3-D refractive index maps of individual RBCs and in situ parasite vacuoles are imaged, from which total contents and concentration of dry mass are also precisely quantified. In addition, we examine the dynamic membrane fluctuation of Bm-RBCs, which provide information on cell membrane deformability.
Abstract
Background
Persistent and relapsing babesiosis caused by Babesia microti often occurs in immunocompromised patients, and has been associated with resistance to antimicrobial agents such as ...atovaquone. Given the rising incidence of babesiosis in the United States, novel drugs are urgently needed. In the current study, we tested whether clofazimine (CFZ), an antibiotic used to treat leprosy and drug-resistant tuberculosis, is effective against B. microti.
Methods
Mice with severe combined immunodeficiency were infected with 107B. microti–infected erythrocytes. Parasites were detected by means of microscopic examination of Giemsa-stained blood smears or nested polymerase chain reaction. CFZ was administered orally.
Results
Uninterrupted monotherapy with CFZ curtailed the rise of parasitemia and achieved radical cure. B. microti parasites and B. microti DNA were cleared by days 10 and 50 of therapy, respectively. A 7-day administration of CFZ delayed the rise of parasitemia by 22 days. This rise was caused by B. microti isolates that did not carry mutations in the cytochrome b gene. Accordingly, a 14-day administration of CFZ was sufficient to resolve high-grade parasitemia caused by atovaquone-resistant B. microti parasites.
Conclusions
Clofazimine is effective against B. microti infection in the immunocompromised host. Additional preclinical studies are required to identify the minimal dose and dosage of CFZ for babesiosis.
Clofazimine (CFZ) is approved for the treatment of leprosy and is being repurposed for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. This report establishes that CFZ monotherapy eradicates Babesia microti infection in immunocompromised mice. CFZ also resolves high-grade parasitemia caused by atovaquone-resistant B. microti parasites.
Display omitted
Canine babesiosis is a tick-borne disease caused by the haemoprotozoan parasites of the genus Babesia. The aim of this study was to assess renal dysfunction in dogs with babesiosis ...caused by B. canis, using serum and urinary markers for both glomerular and tubular dysfunction. Assays previously not validated for use in canine samples were validated and the potential interference of haemoglobin, lipids and bilirubin with these analyses was additionally considered.
In this study 42 dogs naturally infected with B. canis and 14 healthy dogs were included. Dogs with babesiosis were divided into 3 groups: group A consisted of 9 non-azotemic dogs with normal urine protein to creatinine ratio (UPC < 0.5), group B of 27 non-azotemic dogs with UPC > 0.5 and group C of 6 azotemic dogs with UPC > 2. The concentrations of urinary immunoglobin G (IgG), retinol binding protein (RBP), uromodulin, kidney injury molecule – 1 (KIM-1), and serum symmetric dimethylarginine were measured by ELISA assays, while urinary albumin and N-acetyl-b-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) were evaluated by an immunoturbidimetric and enzymatic colorimetric assay, respectively. Urinary markers were normalized to urine creatinine concentration.
All tested markers, with exception of uromodulin, showed significant differences between dogs with babesiosis and healthy dogs, and also showed strong or very strong positive correlation with UPC. Increases of urinary albumin and IgG suggested glomerular damage, and increases of KIM-1, RBP and NAG proximal tubular damage in dogs with babesiosis. They demonstrated clear advantages compared to conventional parameters by showing earlier changes in detecting renal damage.
Babesia microti acquired in Canada Yang, Jiayu; Smith, Catherine; Battad, Anthony
CMAJ. Canadian Medical Association journal,
08/2021, Letnik:
193, Številka:
31
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Babesiosis is caused by the intraerythrocytic protozoa genus Babesia, primarily transmitted by Ixodes ticks, and occasionally through blood transfusion, organ transplantation and transplacentally. ...Although many Babesia species are known to cause infections in humans, most instances of babesiosis in North America are caused by B. microti, which is transmitted by I. scapularis, endemic to the northeastern and northern-midwestern US, where the incidence of babesiosis is about 2000 cases per year. Here, Yang et al examine the case of a 75-year-old man with Babesia microti.
Canine babesiosis is a severe disease caused by several Babesia spp. A number of names have been proposed for the canine-infecting piroplasmid pathogen initially named Theileria annae Zahler, Rinder, ...Schein & Gothe, 2000. It was shown to be a member of the Babesia (sensu lato) group infecting carnivores and is also closely related to the Babesia microti group. Subsequently, the same parasite species was reclassified as a member of the genus Babesia and the name Babesia vulpes Baneth, Florin-Christensen, Cardoso & Schnittger, 2015 was proposed for it. However, both names do not meet the requirements of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (no accompanying descriptions, no deposition of type-specimens) and cannot be recognized as available names from the nomenclatural point of view. The purpose of this study was to further characterize this parasite in order to confirm its validity, to provide its description and to introduce zoological nomenclature for it with the name Babesia vulpes n. sp.
Morphological description of the parasite in canine erythrocytes demonstrated that it takes the shape of small (1.33 × 0.98 µm), round to oval forms reminiscent of the pyriform and ring shapes of other small canine Babesia spp., such as Babesia gibsoni Patton, 1910 and Babesia conradae Kjemtrup, Wainwright, Miller, Penzhorn & Carreno, 2006. However, these parasite forms were overall smaller than those measured for the latter two species and no tetrad (Maltese cross) form was reported. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis using the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COX1) amino acid sequences substantiates the species identity of this parasite as previously demonstrated based on phylogenetic analysis of the 18S rRNA and β-tubulin genes. The holotype of the parasite species was designated and deposited in an accessible public collection.
This study ratifies the name Babesia vulpes n. sp. proposed for the parasite previously referred to as Theileria annae Zahler, Rinder, Schein & Gothe, 2000, Babesia annae (Zahler, Rinder, Schein & Gothe, 2000) or Babesia vulpes Baneth, Florin-Christensen, Cardoso & Schnittger, 2015, or mentioned as "Babesia microti-like piroplasm", "Babesia Spanish dog isolate" and Babesia cf. microti.
Babesiosis is a potentially life-threatening disease caused by intraerythrocytic parasites, which usually are tickborne but also are transmissible by transfusion. Tickborne transmission of Babesia ...microti mainly occurs in 7 states in the Northeast and the upper Midwest of the United States. No Babesia test for screening blood donors has been licensed.
To ascertain and summarize data on U.S. transfusion-associated Babesia cases identified since the first described case in 1979.
Case series.
United States.
Case patients were transfused during 1979-2009 and had posttransfusion Babesia infection diagnosed by 2010, without reported evidence that another transmission route was more likely than transfusion. Implicated donors had laboratory evidence of infection. Potential cases were excluded if all pertinent donors tested negative.
Distributions of ascertained cases according to Babesia species and period and state of transfusion.
159 transfusion-associated B. microti cases were included; donors were implicated for 136 (86%). The case patients' median age was 65 years (range, <1 to 94 years). Most cases were associated with red blood cell components; 4 were linked to whole blood-derived platelets. Cases occurred in all 4 seasons and in 22 (of 31) years, but 77% (122 cases) occurred during 2000-2009. Cases occurred in 19 states, but 87% (138 cases) were in the 7 main B. microti-endemic states. In addition, 3 B. duncani cases were documented in western states.
The extent to which cases were not diagnosed, investigated, reported, or ascertained is unknown.
Donor-screening strategies that mitigate the risk for transfusion transmission are needed. Babesiosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of unexplained posttransfusion hemolytic anemia or fever, regardless of the season or U.S. region.
None.
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