A rise in babesiosis cases is a “major concern,” say researchers who compiled data on humans, cats, dogs, horses, and cattle in 20 European countries. This review article, published in the April 30 issue of Microorganisms, attributes the case increase to longer tick seasons driven by climate change and the use of better diagnostic methods.

Babesia is a multisystem disease caused by a malaria-like protozoan parasite that can be transmitted by tick bites, through blood transfusions and organ transplants, and congenitally from mother to fetus. Originally a cattle disease, babesiosis first appeared in humans in Yugoslavia (now Croatia) in 1956 and in Colorado and Massachusetts in the late 1960s.

The authors highlight the risks of ticks harboring multiple pathogens: “There is growing evidence that the co-infection of Babesia and other tick-borne diseases may contribute to a more severe course of disease in patients.”

Data for this article was collected in southeastern Europe (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia), central Europe (Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland), and northern and northeastern Europe (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Iceland, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway). But the authors note that the surveillance of this “dangerous, potentially lethal” disease is seriously lacking. They end the article with a call for more careful, standardized monitoring of animal and human cases using a “One Health” approach.

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