WASHINGTON (April 25, 2023)—Last month the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a report that showed an “increase in tickborne disease in parts of the U.S. that previously saw few cases." Babesiosis, a tick-borne disease that can be fatal in rare cases, is becoming more prevalent and is now considered endemic in three new states: Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Babesiosis can occasionally be confused with Lyme disease, another tick-borne illness that causes fever and muscle aches but whereas Lyme disease has a defining feature, there isn’t an obvious babesiosis symptom. Humans largely acquire babesiosis from deer ticks, whose bites can transmit Babesia parasites that infect red blood cells. The increase in tickborne disease infections can be partially attributable to the warming climate enabling ticks to become active earlier in the spring and then remain active later into the autumn or winter months.
George Washington University has experts available to comment on tickborne diseases prevention and treatment. To schedule an interview contact GW Media at gwmedia
gwu [dot] edu (gwmedia[at]gwu[dot]edu).
Marc Siegel, is an associate professor of infectious diseases at the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He can discuss about tickborne diseases prevention and treatment.