EC Neurology

Quotation: “One must always be aware of the fact that Babesia infections always carry the possible risk of neurological involvement”.
Babesiosis is a tick borne protozoan pathogenic infection is most frequently due to the bite of a tick of the of the Ixodes genus [1]. Babesia infections involve invasion and destruction of red blood cells. The red blood cells have been found to be the only known cell which serves as a host for Babesia [2]. These Babesia protozoan parasites can be seen microscopically as a “cross of malta” but, it must be noted that Babesia parasites have often been mistaken for Malarial pathogens [4]. More specific testing for identifying the presence of Babesia pathogens involves the application of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunofluorescence antibody based methodologies.

1. Usmani-Brown S., et al. “Neurological manifestations human babesiosis”. Handbook of Clinical Neurology, Neuroparasitology and Tropical Neurology 114 (2013): 199-203.
2. Adalberto A., et al. “Tick Borne Protozoa”. In: Sonnenshine, De, and Roe, RM (editions), Biology of TICKS”. Oxford University Press, New York 2.6 (2014): 151-179.
3. Til PM. “Overview of the Methods and strategies in Parsitology”. In: Bailey and Scott’s, Diagnostic Microbiology (14^th Edition). Elsevier, St. Louis, Missouri (2017): 604-605.
4. Horowitz RI. “How ‘Can I get Better”. An Action Plan for Treating Resistant Lyme and Chronic Diseases”. St. Martin’s Griffin, New York (2017).
5. Venigalla T., et al. “Atypical Presentation of Babesiosis with Neurological Manifestations as Well as Hematological Manifestations”. Cureus 7 (2022): e26811.