Prevalence of <i>Babesia microti</i> Co-Infection with Other Tick-Borne Pathogens in Pennsylvania

Prevalence of <i>Babesia microti</i> Co-Infection with Other Tick-Borne Pathogens in Pennsylvania

<i>Babesia microti</i> is a protozoan that infects red blood cells, causing hemolytic anemia and flu-like symptoms in humans. Understanding co-infections is crucial for the better diagnosis, treatment, and management of tick-borne diseases. This study examined the prevalence of <i>...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lovepreet S. Nijjar, Sarah Schwartz, Destiny Sample Koon Koon, Samantha M. Marin, Mollie E. Jimenez, Trevor Williams, Nicole Chinnici
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Microorganisms
Subjects:
<i>Babesia microti</i>
<i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i>
<i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i>
co-infection
tick-borne pathogens
<i>Ixodes</i> ticks
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/11/2220
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Summary:<i>Babesia microti</i> is a protozoan that infects red blood cells, causing hemolytic anemia and flu-like symptoms in humans. Understanding co-infections is crucial for the better diagnosis, treatment, and management of tick-borne diseases. This study examined the prevalence of <i>Babesia microti</i> co-infection with other prevalent tick-borne pathogens in Pennsylvania. The dataset acquired from the Dr. Jane Huffman Wildlife Genetics Institute included passive surveillance data from <i>Ixodes</i> spp. from 2021 to 2023. Submitted ticks were screened for tick-borne pathogens using species-specific TaqMan qPCR. Of the 793 <i>B. microti</i>-positive ticks pulled for analysis, 65.0% were co-infected with other pathogens (n = 516). Notably, 60.9% of the <i>B. microti</i>-positive ticks were co-infected with <i>Borrelia burgdorferi</i>, 10.2% with <i>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</i> Ap-ha, and 7.5% carried a triple co-infection with <i>B. burgdorferi</i> and <i>A. phagocytophilum</i> Ap-ha. The rates of <i>B. microti</i> infection and its co-infections are on the rise, with patterns observed in Pennsylvania and other regions of the USA. While other studies have collected both nymphal and adult ticks to screen for co-infections in Pennsylvania, our study stood out as a unique contribution to the field by focusing exclusively on <i>B. microti</i>-positive ticks. The continued monitoring of tick-borne co-infections is vital to prevent misdiagnosis and ensure effective treatment regimens.
ISSN:2076-2607

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