Babesiosis

Homer, Mary J.; Aguilar-Delfín, Irma; Telford, Sam R.; Krause, Peter J.; Persing, David H.

doi:10.1128/cmr.13.3.451-469.2000

Cited by 520 publications

(418 citation statements)

References 155 publications

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“…The infection has a worldwide distribution, but the majority of cases of babesiosis have been described in the temperate zones of the United States and Europe, even though isolated cases have also been described in China, Taiwan, Egypt, South Africa, Mexico, and, more recently, India (149,175,241).…”

Section: Other Parasitic Infectionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transmission of Tropical and Geographically Restricted Infections during Solid-Organ Transplantation

et al. 2008

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SUMMARY In recent years, the increasing number of donors from different regions of the world is providing a new challenge for the management and selection of suitable donors. This is a worldwide problem in most countries with transplantation programs, especially due to the increase in immigration and international travel. This paper elaborates recommendations regarding the selection criteria for donors from foreign countries who could potentially transmit tropical or geographically restricted infections to solid-organ transplant recipients. For this purpose, an extensive review of the medical literature focusing on viral, fungal, and parasitic infections that could be transmitted during transplantation from donors who have lived or traveled in countries where these infections are endemic has been performed, with special emphasis on tropical and imported infections. The review also includes cases described in the literature as well as risks of transmission during transplantation, microbiological tests available, and recommendations for each infection. A table listing different infectious agents with their geographic distributions and specific recommendations is included.

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Section: Other Parasitic Infectionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transmission of Tropical and Geographically Restricted Infections during Solid-Organ Transplantation

et al. 2008

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“…Babesia species are tick-borne haemoprotozoan parasites that infect virtually all mammalian species, with significant economic consequences in domestic animals and human health implications, particularly in the USA [52,53]. In mice, B. microti induces high but transient parasitaemias, which are quickly cleared (clearance beginning approximately 10 days after infection) [54]. This makes B. microti an ideal parasitic tool to investigate the effects of disease in neighbours over a limited period, such as during pregnancy.…”

Section: Materials and Methods (A) Methods Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infection before pregnancy affects immunity and response to social challenge in the next generation

Curno

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McElligott

et al. 2011

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Natural selection should favour parents that are able to adjust their offspring's life-history strategy and resource allocation in response to changing environmental and social conditions. Pathogens impose particularly strong and variable selective pressure on host life histories, and parental genes will benefit if offspring are appropriately primed to meet the immunological challenges ahead. Here, we investigated transgenerational immune priming by examining reproductive resource allocation by female mice in response to direct infection with Babesia microti prior to pregnancy. Female mice previously infected with B. microti gained more weight over pregnancy, and spent more time nursing their offspring. These offspring generated an accelerated response to B. microti as adults, clearing the infection sooner and losing less weight as a result of infection. They also showed an altered hormonal response to novel social environments, decreasing instead of increasing testosterone production upon social housing. These results suggest that a dominance-resistance trade-off can be mediated by cues from the previous generation. We suggest that strategic maternal investment in response to an infection leads to increased disease resistance in the following generation. Offspring from previously infected mothers downregulate investment in acquisition of social dominance, which in natural systems would reduce access to mating opportunities. In doing so, however, they avoid the reduced disease resistance associated with increased testosterone and dominance. The benefits of accelerated clearance of infection and reduced weight loss during infection may outweigh costs associated with reduced social dominance in an environment where the risk of disease is high.

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“…Murrain, one of the ancient plagues of Egypt and most likely the same disease as the notorious Texas cattle fever, continues to burden cattle breeders in many parts of the world. More recently, human babesiosis has emerged as a worldwide health threat [1][2][3].…”

Section: A Tale Of Two Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%