BABESIA CASES SKYROCKET IN WISCONSIN WITH A 26-FOLD INCREASE
by Daniel J. Cameron, MD, MPH
In Wisconsin, between 2001 and 2015, “there was a 26-fold increase in the incidence of confirmed babesiosis, in addition to geographic expansion,” according to MMWR. [1] The report listed suburbanization, forest fragmentation patterns, and warming average temperatures as potential causes behind the surge.
The rising prevalence of co-infections in rodents may also be to blame for the rise in Babesiacases. When studying the Northeastern region, Diuk-Wasser from Columbia University in New York City found “the prevalence of co-infection tends to be greater in rodents, ranging from 6% to 41%, because they are exposed to multiple tick bites during their lifetime.” [2] Furthermore, she adds, “the prevalence of B. burgdorferi and B. microti co-infection ranges from 0% to 13% in nymphs and from 2% to 13% in adults.”