Babesiosis is an infection caused by a malaria-like parasite, also called a “piroplasm,” that infects red blood cells. Babesia microti is believed to be the most common piroplasm infecting humans, but scientists have identified over twenty piroplasms carried by ticks. Ticks may carry only Babesia or they may be infected with both Babesia and Lyme spirochetes. (1)
Long-standing infections may need to be treated for several months, and relapses sometimes occur and must be retreated. (1)
Babesia infection is becoming more commonly recognized, especially in patients who already have Lyme Disease. It has been published that as many as 66% of Lyme patients show evidence of co-infection with Babesia. It has also been reported that Babesial infections can range in severity from mild, subclinical infection, to fulminant, potentially life-threatening illness. The more severe presentations are more likely to be seen in immunocompromised and elderly patients. Milder infections are often missed because the symptoms are incorrectly ascribed to Lyme. Babesial infections, even mild ones, may recrudesce and cause severe illness. This phenomenon has been reported to occur at any time, even up to several years after the initial infection. Furthermore, asymptomatic carriers pose risks: to the blood supply as this infection has been reported to be passed on by blood transfusion, and to the unborn child from an infected mother as it can be transmitted in utero. (2)
Diagnostic tests are insensitive and problematic. There are at least thirteen Babesial forms found in ticks, yet we can currently only test for B. microti and WA-1 with our serologic and nuclear tests. Standard blood smears reportedly are reliable for only the first two weeks of infection, thus are not useful for diagnosing later infections and milder ones including carrier states where the germ load is too low to be detected. Krause, PJ, Telford, SR, Spielman, A, et.al. Concurrent Lyme disease and Babesiosis. JAMA 1996. 275 (21):1660 “As is common in the case of Babesial infections, parasites frequently cannot be seen in blood films.” Therefore, multiple diagnostic test methods are available and each have their own benefits and limitations and often several tests must be done. Be prepared to treat based on clinical presentation, even with negative tests. (2)
No Lyme cure exists if a powerful co-infection like Babesia and/or Bartonella is present and untreated to the point of full removal. Lyme cure is also likely impossible in the presence of ineffective routine dosing, (i.e. like 750 mg of Mepron twice a day), which kills some Babesia but leaves some residual Babesia alive. (3)
Current Babesia testing does not test for all possible human species. Current national labs have not invested large sums to improve species or genus level Babesia testing, or better visualization techniques that would increase the capacity to see Babesia in a blood drop smear. (3)
Many Babesia species infect humans, and more species or species variants are discovered every year. I (Dr. Schaller) believe I am seeing patients with a mix of Babesia species or species variants. For example, I have patients with Babesia microti, Babesia duncani (WA-1) and suspected MO-1. This last species is all over North America. Further, I believe microti has more than one strain in the USA, and we already know it has more than one strain in the world. I believe the dose that kills one species or species variant, does not fully remove other species or other species variants. This is a revolutionary component in approaching Babesia treatment. (3)
Treatments include-
Mepron, malarone, lariam, clindamycin, quinine, alinia, metronidazole, primaquin, zithromax, cryptolepsis, artemisinin, smilax, tesel, enula, mora, rizol oils, flagyl, biaxin, ketek, plaquenil, chlorquine, primaquine, proquanil
Symptoms include-
night sweats
flushing pressure-like headaches
violent nightmares, vivid dreams
shortness of breath, air hunger
dry cough
neck pain
fatigue
dizziness
trouble thinking
fevers
memory loss
chills
sense of imbalance
encephalopathy DEFINITION
Related Post-
SUCCESSFUL BABESIA TREATMENT
BARTONELLA
SOURCES
1. http://www.lymedisease.org/lyme101/coinfections/babesia.html
2. http://www.canlyme.com/coinf.html#ehrl (taken from Burrascano)
3. http://www.babesiabook.com/articles/babesiaupdatereview.html