Published Date: 2013-10-11 17:35:09
Subject: PRO/MBDS> Babesiosis - China: Yunnan
Archive Number: 20131011.357292
BABESIOSIS - CHINA: YUNNAN
**************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Thu 3 Oct 2013
Source: Infectious Diseases of Poverty 2013, 2(24) [edited]
http://www.idpjournal.com/content/2/1/24/abstract
Co-infections with _Babesia microti_ and _Plasmodium_ parasites along the China-Myanmar border
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Authors: Xia Zhou, Sheng-Guo Li, Shen-Bo Chen, Jia-Zhi Wang, Bin Xu, He-Jun Zhou, Hong-Xiang Zhu Ge, Jun-Hu Chen and Wei Hu]
Background
Babesiosis is an emerging health risk in several parts of the world. However, little is known about the prevalence of _Babesia_ in malaria-endemic countries. The area along the China-Myanmar border in Yunnan is a main endemic area of malaria in China, however, human infection with _Babesia microti_ is not recognized in this region, and its profile of co-infection is not yet clear.
Methods
To understand its profile of co-infections with _B. microti_, our investigation was undertaken in the malaria-endemic area along the China-Myanmar border in Yunnan between [April 2012] and [June 2013]. Four parasite species, including _B. microti_, _Plasmodium falciparum_, _P. vivax_, and _P. malariae_, were identified among 449 suspected febrile persons detected by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay based on small subunit ribosomal ribonucleic acid (RNA) genes of _B. microti_ and _Plasmodium_ species.
Results
Of all the collected samples from febrile patients, mono-infection with _B. microti_, _P. vivax_, _P. falciparum_, and _P. malariae_ accounted for 1.8 percent (8/449), 9.8 percent (44/449), 2.9 percent (13/449), and 0.2 percent (1/449), respectively. The rate of mixed infections of _B. microti_ with _P. falciparum_ or _P. vivax_ are both 0.2 percent (1/449), and mixed infections of _P. falciparum_ and _P. vivax_ accounted for 1.1 percent (5/449).
Conclusions
This report supports the hypothesis that babesiosis caused by _B. microti_ is emerging along the China-Myanmar border in the Yunnan province, China, but it was ignored because of low parasitemia or mixed infection with _Plasmodium_ species. More sensitive and specific diagnosis methods are needed to find the rapid response mechanism of emergency for babesiosis and malaria co-prevalence areas.
--
Communicated by:
PRO/MBDS
<promed-mbds@promedmail.org>
[The abstract of the above article reports babesiosis caused by _B. microti_ is emerging along the China-Myanmar border in the Yunnan province, China, but it was ignored because of low parasitemia or mixed infection with _Plasmodium_ species. (Full text of the article can be seen at source URL.)
According to the article, babesiosis in areas in which malaria is endemic might be misdiagnosed as drug-resistant malaria. Some reports have been confirmed that the efficacy of such therapies has declined on the Thailand-Cambodia and Thailand-Myanmar borders, historically sites of emerging antimalarial-drug resistance.
Babesiosis is a malaria-like parasitic disease caused by infection with _Babesia_, genus of protozoal piroplasms. After trypanosomes, _Babesia_ is thought to be the 2nd most common blood parasite of mammals, and they can have a major impact on health of domestic animals in areas without severe winters. Human babesiosis is uncommon, but reported cases have risen recently because of expanded medical awareness. Most cases of _Babesia_ infection are asymptomatic, but can include mild fevers and diarrhea. The symptoms are often unnoticed or unexplained. In more severe cases, there are symptoms similar to malaria, with fevers up to 40.5 C, shaking chills, and severe anemia (hemolytic anemia). Organ failure may follow, including adult respiratory distress syndrome. Severe cases occur mostly in people who have had their spleen removed surgically. Severe cases are also more likely to occur in the very young, very old, and persons with immunodeficiency, such as HIV/AIDS patients. A rep
orted increase in babesiosis diagnoses in the 2000s is thought to be caused by more widespread testing and higher numbers of people with immune-deficiencies coming in contact with ticks, the disease vector. Little is known about the occurrence of _Babesia_ species in malaria-endemic areas, where _Babesia_ can easily be misdiagnosed as _Plasmodium_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babesiosis).
Human babesiosis in countries in which malaria is endemic have been overlooked or misdiagnosed as malaria.
The area along the China-Myanmar border in Yunnan has been reported as a main endemic area of malaria in the People's Republic of China. The research findings would bring new challenges to the prevention and control of these infectious diseases.
For a map of China with provinces, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China#Map. For the interactive HealthMap/ProMED-mail map of China with links to other ProMED-mail and PRO/MBDS postings on China and surrounding areas, see http://healthmap.org/r/7dum - Mod.TTM]
Subject: PRO/MBDS> Babesiosis - China: Yunnan
Archive Number: 20131011.357292
BABESIOSIS - CHINA: YUNNAN
**************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Thu 3 Oct 2013
Source: Infectious Diseases of Poverty 2013, 2(24) [edited]
http://www.idpjournal.com/content/2/1/24/abstract
Co-infections with _Babesia microti_ and _Plasmodium_ parasites along the China-Myanmar border
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Authors: Xia Zhou, Sheng-Guo Li, Shen-Bo Chen, Jia-Zhi Wang, Bin Xu, He-Jun Zhou, Hong-Xiang Zhu Ge, Jun-Hu Chen and Wei Hu]
Background
Babesiosis is an emerging health risk in several parts of the world. However, little is known about the prevalence of _Babesia_ in malaria-endemic countries. The area along the China-Myanmar border in Yunnan is a main endemic area of malaria in China, however, human infection with _Babesia microti_ is not recognized in this region, and its profile of co-infection is not yet clear.
Methods
To understand its profile of co-infections with _B. microti_, our investigation was undertaken in the malaria-endemic area along the China-Myanmar border in Yunnan between [April 2012] and [June 2013]. Four parasite species, including _B. microti_, _Plasmodium falciparum_, _P. vivax_, and _P. malariae_, were identified among 449 suspected febrile persons detected by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay based on small subunit ribosomal ribonucleic acid (RNA) genes of _B. microti_ and _Plasmodium_ species.
Results
Of all the collected samples from febrile patients, mono-infection with _B. microti_, _P. vivax_, _P. falciparum_, and _P. malariae_ accounted for 1.8 percent (8/449), 9.8 percent (44/449), 2.9 percent (13/449), and 0.2 percent (1/449), respectively. The rate of mixed infections of _B. microti_ with _P. falciparum_ or _P. vivax_ are both 0.2 percent (1/449), and mixed infections of _P. falciparum_ and _P. vivax_ accounted for 1.1 percent (5/449).
Conclusions
This report supports the hypothesis that babesiosis caused by _B. microti_ is emerging along the China-Myanmar border in the Yunnan province, China, but it was ignored because of low parasitemia or mixed infection with _Plasmodium_ species. More sensitive and specific diagnosis methods are needed to find the rapid response mechanism of emergency for babesiosis and malaria co-prevalence areas.
--
Communicated by:
PRO/MBDS
<promed-mbds@promedmail.org>
[The abstract of the above article reports babesiosis caused by _B. microti_ is emerging along the China-Myanmar border in the Yunnan province, China, but it was ignored because of low parasitemia or mixed infection with _Plasmodium_ species. (Full text of the article can be seen at source URL.)
According to the article, babesiosis in areas in which malaria is endemic might be misdiagnosed as drug-resistant malaria. Some reports have been confirmed that the efficacy of such therapies has declined on the Thailand-Cambodia and Thailand-Myanmar borders, historically sites of emerging antimalarial-drug resistance.
Babesiosis is a malaria-like parasitic disease caused by infection with _Babesia_, genus of protozoal piroplasms. After trypanosomes, _Babesia_ is thought to be the 2nd most common blood parasite of mammals, and they can have a major impact on health of domestic animals in areas without severe winters. Human babesiosis is uncommon, but reported cases have risen recently because of expanded medical awareness. Most cases of _Babesia_ infection are asymptomatic, but can include mild fevers and diarrhea. The symptoms are often unnoticed or unexplained. In more severe cases, there are symptoms similar to malaria, with fevers up to 40.5 C, shaking chills, and severe anemia (hemolytic anemia). Organ failure may follow, including adult respiratory distress syndrome. Severe cases occur mostly in people who have had their spleen removed surgically. Severe cases are also more likely to occur in the very young, very old, and persons with immunodeficiency, such as HIV/AIDS patients. A rep
orted increase in babesiosis diagnoses in the 2000s is thought to be caused by more widespread testing and higher numbers of people with immune-deficiencies coming in contact with ticks, the disease vector. Little is known about the occurrence of _Babesia_ species in malaria-endemic areas, where _Babesia_ can easily be misdiagnosed as _Plasmodium_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babesiosis).
Human babesiosis in countries in which malaria is endemic have been overlooked or misdiagnosed as malaria.
The area along the China-Myanmar border in Yunnan has been reported as a main endemic area of malaria in the People's Republic of China. The research findings would bring new challenges to the prevention and control of these infectious diseases.
For a map of China with provinces, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provinces_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China#Map. For the interactive HealthMap/ProMED-mail map of China with links to other ProMED-mail and PRO/MBDS postings on China and surrounding areas, see http://healthmap.org/r/7dum - Mod.TTM]