Babesia

Babesia is an intracellular parasite that affects erythrocytes in the blood of animals and humans. Consider the pathogenesis of babesias, the structure, diseases that cause parasites, the main symptomatology of babesiosis and methods of treatment.

Babesia belongs to the order of the simplest pyroplasmids of the sarcodic class. Its name was given to the parasite in honor of the scientist V. Babesh, who first discovered babesia in the blood of cattle. The parasite has four types: Piroplasma, Nuttallia, Babesiella, Francaiella, which cause babesiellosis.

The main carriers of babesias are Ixodidae mites. Human babesiosis was first diagnosed in Europe. Later, the disease was recorded in the US and spread to other countries. To date, babesia causes serious diseases not only in animals, but also in humans, which are difficult to diagnose and treat.

[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]

The structure of the Babesians

The structure of babesia corresponds to the structure of any parasitic microorganisms. Bebesia refers to the type of aplicomplexes, the paraplasmids and the Babesian family. The genus Babesia does not have a single classification, so some scholars divide babesia into four types, which correspond to the simplest pyroplasmas: pyroplasmoses, nuttaliases, babesiellosis and francaelles.

Babesia is an intracellular parasite that affects the red blood cells of blood cells. By division, microorganisms multiply in erythrocytes. Thus, in acute forms of babesiosis, erythrocyte infestation is up to tens of percent, and asymptomatic forms of lesions occur with minimal lesions of blood cells. To date, about 100 species of Babesia are known, but few of them are human pathogens. The main pathogens of babesiosis in humans are: microti, divergens, bovis, odocoilei.

The main way of infecting people with babesias is the transfer of parasitic microorganisms with saliva while feeding the tick. As a rule, people who are in contact with ticks are sick: agricultural workers, tourists, cattle breeders. The disease has a pronounced seasonality, which occurs in May-September and is caused by the activity of vectors. Babesiellosis, caused by microti, is most common in the US. The first case of the disease was recorded in 1969 and since then every year about one hundred cases of human infection have been registered. In Europe, the main causative agent of babesiosis in humans is divergens.

The Life Cycle of Babesia

The life cycle of babesias consists in the replacement of two hosts: intermediate - the vertebrate (man, animal) and definitive - invertebrate, that is, the mite. People become infected because of a tick bite, which leads to babesiellosis. At the same time, during development, parasitic microorganisms undergo several stages of development.

• Trophozoites of babesia - are unicellular microorganisms that feed on the contents of red blood cells, that is hemoglobin and develop in the blood cells. They multiply by dividing, hitting more and more red blood cells.
• Some species of Babesia do not reproduce in erythrocytes and are called gamontos. In this case, the parasite penetrates the gastrointestinal tract and becomes gametes. The fusion of two gametes forms a zygote, which in turn is transformed into a kinet.
• The kinet reproduces by division and forms sporokines. After a parasitic tick, sporozoites attack erythrocytes and turn into trophozoites. The life cycle of Babesia is repeated.

Pathogenesis of Babesia

The pathogenesis of babesias has not been studied enough, but scientists know that parasitic microorganisms are transmitted through the bites of ticks Ixodidae, which are better known as Dermacentor, Hyalomma. The natural environment of the parasites is infected animals, as an intermediate reservoir serve small rodents.

After a tick bite, the causative agent babesiellosis penetrates into red blood cells and blood capillaries. Clinical manifestations of infection occur when the number of infected red blood cells exceeds 3-5%. Because of the destruction of erythrocytes, the products of vital activity of parasitic microorganisms constantly enter the bloodstream, which causes a strong pyrogenic reaction of the organism and general toxic symptoms.

Due to increasing anemia, microcirculation disorders and severe tissue hypoxia begin. In the capillaries of the kidneys, free hemoglobin and cell membranes of erythrocytes settle, which leads to acute renal failure and hematuria. If there is a massive release of red blood cells, then the development of violations of pigmentation, accompanied by the accumulation of indirect bilirubin in the blood.

Diseases that cause babesia

Diseases that cause babesia, negatively affect the functioning of all organs and systems. In the international classification of diseases of ICD-10, human babesiosis is under the code B60.0.

• Babesiosis affects people with reduced protective functions of the immune system. The disease affects people of advanced age, patients with severe diseases, which undermined the immune system and in splenectomized.
• In most cases, parasitic microorganisms appear in people with human immunodeficiency virus. If Babesia affects people with a well-functioning immune system, the disease is asymptomatic, even with parasitemia reaching 2%.

Babesiosis is an acute infectious disease that causes an intoxication of the body, fever, anemia and is accompanied by a severe course. Babesiellosis is a transmissible parasitic zoonotic infection. The disease causes jaundice and hemoglobinuria.

Babesia affects residents of all continents, except Antarctica. Because of the difference in opinion of scientists about babesias and insufficient knowledge, babesiellosis is compared with pyroplasmosis. But this is not correct, since parasites have a different etiology and a different clinical picture of the disease.

[8], [9]

Symptoms of babesiosis

Symptoms of babesiosis depend on the type of babesia that caused an infectious lesion. If the parasite affects animals, then the symptomatology is accompanied by high body temperature, cardiovascular disorders and rapid breathing. The animal quickly grows thin, suffers from constipation, which alternate with diarrhea. When Babesia infects cows, the animals give yellow or reddish milk, a bitter taste. After a couple of days of the disease, the animal has bloody urine, the acute course of the disease lasts for 4-8 days. 40% of cases of infection of cattle are fatal. With babesia in goats or sheep, death occurs in 80% of cases.

In humans, babesiosis develops against a weakened immune system. The first cases of the disease were recorded in the second half of the 20th century. To date, the disease is not well understood, so the diagnosis of babesiosis is difficult. The disease is accompanied by complications that cause acute kidney failure, polyoranal insufficiency and acute renal and hepatic insufficiency. With babesiellosis, accompanied by pneumonia, serious complications are possible, which without proper treatment can lead to death.

Diagnosis of babesiosis

Diagnosis of babesiosis is difficult because of insufficient knowledge of the parasitic microorganism. If a patient has severe fever accompanied by anemia and hypatomegaly, it is necessary to conduct laboratory tests on babesiellosis. Of particular importance is the consideration of epidemiological indicators: bites of mites and animals, prolonged stay in endemic terrain, weakened immune system.

To confirm the diagnosis of babesiosis, the patient is taken a blood test and conducts a reaction to indirect immunofluorescence. In the diagnosis, a reaction to the binding of the component is used. With low parasitemic indices, a biological method is used for diagnosis, which consists in injecting the patient's blood with a splenectomized animal. After a couple of weeks, the animals show the first signs of the disease, which makes it possible to detect the presence of Babesia in a blood smear. Particular attention is paid to the differential diagnosis of babesiellosis with sepsis, HIV infections, blood damage and other diseases.

[10], [11], [12], [13], [14], [15], [16]

Treatment of babesiosis

The treatment of babesiosis is completely dependent on the effectiveness of the diagnosis of parasitic disease. In the treatment of babesiellosis in animals, Berenil, Aqaprin, Tiargen, Pyroplasmil and a number of other preparations are used. In addition to drug treatment, sick animals are provided with complete peace and regular full-fledged nutrition.

In the treatment of babesiellosis in humans, pharmacotherapy is recommended. Antibiotics and antiprotozoal agents, macrolides, lincosamides, antimalarials, antimicrobial and antiparasitic pharmaceuticals are used for this purpose. In severe forms of babesiosis it is recommended to use a combination of such drugs: Quinine and Clindamycin or Atovokvon and Azithromycin. In particularly severe cases and with the acute course of Babesia, patients receive a blood transfusion.

Prevention of babesiosis

Prevention of babesiosis is not specific. So, in order to protect themselves from infection with babesies, it is recommended to take anti-malignant drugs. Special attention should be paid to drug prevention in people who are involved in grazing livestock or in contact with stray animals.

Protection from babesiella is the destruction of rodents and mites in pastures, as well as in the specific treatment of animals with drugs that kill mites, that is, acaricides.

The prognosis of babesiosis

The prognosis of babesiosis depends on the severity of the parasitic disease and the individual characteristics of the patient's body. So, with the disease babeziyami animals, without timely medication, 80% of cases result in a fatal outcome. With early antiparasitic therapy, the prognosis for recovery is positive.

If babesiosis affects a person, it is necessary to understand that the parasite gives a heavy load to the entire body and even after full-fledged therapy can cause serious complications and consequences. Intoxication, arising from the action of a parasitic microorganism, negatively affects the functioning of all organs and systems. Due to improper diagnosis and inefficiently selected treatment, babesiellosis has a negative prognosis, causes kidney and heart failure, anemia, hepatitis and damage to the nervous system.

Babesia is a parasite that lives and develops in the cells of the circulatory system. The disease occurs in animals as well as in humans. Due to insufficient knowledge of the harmful microorganism, the lesion is difficult to diagnose and treat.