First report of human babesiosis in Australia

Senanayake, Sanjaya; Paparini, Andrea; Latimer, Maya; Andriolo, Kerrie; Dasilva, Alexandre J; Wilson, Heather L.; Xayavong, Maniphet; Collignon, Peter; Jeans, P. L.; Irwin, Peter

doi:10.5694/mja11.11378

Cited by 64 publications

(63 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Tick-transmitted (vectorborne) babesiosis predominates in the rest of the world (Japan, China, Asia-Pacific region, Australia), including the US. [30][31][32][33] We studied six European patients with B. microti infection with non-specific symptoms confirmed by PCR, sequence analysis and serology. All had a mild infection, which can be explained by immunocompetence.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infection withBabesia microtiin humans with non-specific symptoms in North East Poland

Moniuszko

Święcicka

Dunaj

et al. 2016

Infectious Diseases

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infection withBabesia microtiin humans with non-specific symptoms in North East Poland

Moniuszko

Święcicka

Dunaj

et al. 2016

Infectious Diseases

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“…Outside of the United States, a few autochthonous infections have been reported from Canada, Australia, and Germany (7,8,14,15), and antibodies against the U.S. lineage in humans are evident widely in Germany (16), Austria (17), Belgium (18), Switzerland (19), and Mongolia (20). These findings indicate that the B. microti U.S. lineage parasites distributed worldwide are infectious to humans, but pathogenicity may vary among parasite populations.…”

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confidence: 84%

“…The parasites of this group have been detected from various animals, including mouse (U.S., Kobe, Hobetsu, and Munich), rat (U.S. and Kobe), vole (U.S., Hobetsu, and Munich), shrew (U.S., Hobetsu, and Munich), lemming (U.S.), squirrel (monkey/squirrel), and nonhuman primate (monkey/squirrel) (summarized in Zamoto-Niikura et al [6]). To date, parasites belonging to the U.S. lineage around the world and the Kobe lineage from Japan have been isolated from patients and are apparently pathogenic to humans (5,7,8). However, a patient(s) infected with another parasite, such as Hobetsu lineage (9), may emerge as a consequence of improved detection techniques and recent increased attention to emerging tick-borne diseases, such as severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), relapsing fever, anaplasmosis, and neoehrlichiosis (10)(11)(12)(13).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ixodes persulcatus Ticks as Vectors for the Babesia microti U.S. Lineage in Japan

Zamoto-Niikura

Morikawa

Hanaki

et al. 2016

Appl Environ Microbiol

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The U.S. lineage, one of the major clades in the Babesia microti group, is known as a causal agent of human babesiosis mostly in the northeastern and upper midwestern United States. This lineage, however, also is distributed throughout the temperate zone of Eurasia with several reported human cases, although convincing evidence of the identity of the specific vector(s) in this area is lacking. Here, the goal was to demonstrate the presence of infectious parasites directly in salivary glands of Ixodes persulcatus, from which U.S. lineage genetic sequences have been detected in Asia, and to molecularly characterize the isolates. Five PCRpositive specimens were individually inoculated into hamsters, resulting in infections in four; consequently, four strains were newly established. Molecular characterization, including 18S rRNA, ␤-tubulin, and CCT7 gene sequences, as well as Western blot analysis and indirect fluorescent antibody assay, revealed that all four strains were identical to each other and to the U.S. lineage strains isolated from rodents captured in Japan. The 18S rRNA gene sequence from the isolates was identical to those from I. persulcatus in Russia and China, but the genetic and antigenic profiles of the Japanese parasites differ from those in the United States and Europe. Together with previous epidemiological and transmission studies, we conclude that I. persulcatus is likely the principal vector for the B. microti U.S. lineage in Japan and presumably in northeastern Eurasia. IMPORTANCEThe major cause of human babesiosis, the tick-borne blood parasite Babesia microti, U.S. lineage, is widely distributed in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. However, the specific tick vector(s) remains unidentified in Eurasia, where there are people with antibodies to the B. microti U.S. lineage and cases of human babesiosis. In this study, the first isolation of B. microti U.S. lineage from Ixodes persulcatus ticks, a principal vector for many tick-borne diseases, is described in Japan. Limited antigenic cross-reaction was found between the Japan and United States isolates. Thus, current serological tests based on U.S. isolates may underestimate B. microti occurrence outside the United States. This study and previous studies indicate that I. persulcatus is part of the B. microti U.S. lineage life cycle in Japan and, presumably, northeastern Eurasia. This report will be important for public health, especially since infection may occur through transfusion, and also to researchers in the field of parasitology.

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“…B. bovis has been reported as a rare cause of infection in humans [104]. The first definitive case of human Babesiosis acquired in Australia was reported in 2012 and was caused by Babesia microti [105]. To date, B. microti has not been identified in any Australian ticks.…”

Section: Differential Diagnosesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is there a Lyme-like disease in Australia? Summary of the findings to date

2016

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Lyme Borreliosis is a common tick-borne disease of the northern hemisphere caused by the spirochaetes of the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (B. burgdorferi s. l.) complex. It results in multi-organ disease with arthritic, cardiac, neurological and dermatological manifestations. In the last twenty-five years there have been over 500 reports of an Australian Lyme-like syndrome in the scientific literature. However, the diagnoses of Lyme Borreliosis made in these cases have been primarily by clinical presentation and laboratory results of tentative reliability and the true cause of these illnesses remains unknown. A number of animals have been introduced to Australia that may act as B. burgdorferi s. l. reservoirs in Lyme-endemic countries, and there are some Australian Ixodes spp. and Haemaphysalis spp. ticks whose geographical distribution matches that of the Australian Lyme-like cases. Four published studies have searched for Borrelia in Australian ticks, with contradicting results. The cause of the potential Lyme-like disease in Australia remains to be defined. The evidence to date as to whether these illnesses are caused by a Borrelia species, another tick borne pathogen or are due to a novel or unrelated aetiology is summarised in this review.

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First report of human babesiosis in Australia

Cited by 64 publications

References 13 publications

Infection withBabesia microtiin humans with non-specific symptoms in North East Poland

Infection withBabesia microtiin humans with non-specific symptoms in North East Poland

Ixodes persulcatus Ticks as Vectors for the Babesia microti U.S. Lineage in Japan

Is there a Lyme-like disease in Australia? Summary of the findings to date

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