Department of Blood-Borne Parasites, Lindsley Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, New York, USA.
Curr Opin Hematol. 2020 Nov;27(6):399-405. doi: 10.1097/MOH.0000000000000606.
As human babesiosis caused by apicomplexan parasites of the Babesia genus is associated with transfusion-transmitted illness and relapsing disease in immunosuppressed populations, it is important to report novel findings relating to parasite biology that may be responsible for such pathology. Blood screening tools recently licensed by the FDA are also described to allow understanding of their impact on keeping the blood supply well tolerated.
Reports of tick-borne cases within new geographical regions such as the Pacific Northwest of the USA, through Eastern Europe and into China are also on the rise. Novel features of the parasite lifecycle that underlie the basis of parasite persistence have recently been characterized. These merit consideration in deployment of both detection, treatment and mitigation tools such as pathogen inactivation technology. The impact of new blood donor screening tests in reducing transfusion transmitted babesiosis is discussed.
New Babesia species have been identified globally, suggesting that the epidemiology of this disease is rapidly changing, making it clear that human babesiosis is a serious public health concern that requires close monitoring and effective intervention measures. Unlike other erythrocytic parasites, Babesia exploits unconventional lifecycle strategies that permit host cycles of different lengths to ensure survival in hostile environments. With the licensure of new blood screening tests, incidence of transfusion transmission babesiosis has decreased.
由于由疟原虫属的顶复门寄生虫引起的人类巴贝斯虫病与免疫抑制人群中的输血传播疾病和复发性疾病有关，因此报告可能导致这种病理学的寄生虫生物学的新发现非常重要。还描述了最近获得 FDA 许可的血液筛选工具，以了解它们对保持血液供应良好耐受性的影响。
美国太平洋西北地区、东欧和中国等新地理区域的蜱传病例报告也在增加。最近，寄生虫生命周期的新特征已被确定为寄生虫持续存在的基础。在部署检测、治疗和缓解工具（如病原体灭活技术）时，这些特征值得考虑。还讨论了新的献血者筛选测试在降低输血传播巴贝斯虫病方面的作用。
新的巴贝斯虫种已在全球范围内被发现，这表明该疾病的流行病学正在迅速变化，这清楚地表明人类巴贝斯虫病是一个严重的公共卫生问题，需要密切监测和采取有效的干预措施。与其他红血细胞寄生虫不同，巴贝斯虫利用非常规的生命周期策略，允许宿主周期的长度不同，以确保在恶劣环境中生存。随着新的血液筛选测试的许可，输血传播巴贝斯虫病的发病率已经下降。
