Killer tick-borne illness on rise in Plymouth County
** FILE ** This is a Monday March 18, 2002 file photo of a female deer tick seen under a University of Rhode Island microscope in the entomoloy lab in South Kingstown, R.I. Patients who believe they suffer long-term problems from Lyme disease are claiming victory over a national doctors group. The Infectious Diseases Society of America has agreed to review its guidelines, which say there's no evidence long-term antibiotics can cure "chronic Lyme" disease, or even that such a condition exists.
QUINCY —
I t’s carried by deer ticks, can cause flu-like symptoms, is on the
rise in Massachusetts, and it’s not Lyme disease. Cases of babesiosis, a
tick-borne illness, nearly quadrupled between 2008 and 2011 statewide.
In Plymouth County, the number of cases increased eight-fold during the
same period. And doctors and public health officials say the disease may
pose a greater threat than Lyme disease, especially to people with
compromised immune systems, for whom it can be fatal.
“I think it’s been shrouded by Lyme disease,” said Dr. Todd Ellerin, director of infectious diseases at South Shore Hospital. “Babesiosis can be more severe. You can have deaths with babesiosis, or you can end up in the intensive care unit. That rarely happens with Lyme.”
In a healthy person, babesiosis can cause fever, fatigue and chills, or no symptoms at all.
But the disease can be life-threatening for people with weakened immune systems, including cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, people with HIV and the elderly. Unlike Lyme disease, it can also be passed on through a blood transfusion.
The first case of the disease was detected in 1969 on Nantucket.
In 2008, there were 51 cases statewide. The number last year was 191, according to the state Department of Public Health. Plymouth County had 24 confirmed cases, one of the highest numbers in the state. Norfolk County had 13 cases.
Among the states, Massachusetts ranked second in number of reported cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, which began tracking cases in 18 states last year.
The numbers are still small compared to Lyme disease, which had just under 2,600 confirmed cases in Massachusetts in 2010, the most recent year for which state data was available.
But the increase in cases of babesiosis, and of the tick-borne illnesses Lyme disease and anaplasmosis, has public health officials on alert.
“It certainly is an increasing problem, and we’re seeing some very sick hospitalized patients who’ve been impacted by these diseases,” said Catherine Brown, the state’s public health veterinarian. “I think this is a real concern, and I certainly know from speaking with health-care providers who call me that they’re concerned as well.”
Brown said the rise in cases of babesiosis may be due to an increase in the populations of deer and rodents that carry the ticks – populations that continue to encroach on suburban neighborhoods.
One of the biggest concerns about babesiosis is that, unlike Lyme disease, it can be spread through blood transfusions, including to those who are more likely to become seriously ill from the disease. There’s also no government-approved test to screen donor blood for babesiosis, and because many people never develop symptoms, they may donate blood without knowing they have the disease.
“I think it’s been shrouded by Lyme disease,” said Dr. Todd Ellerin, director of infectious diseases at South Shore Hospital. “Babesiosis can be more severe. You can have deaths with babesiosis, or you can end up in the intensive care unit. That rarely happens with Lyme.”
In a healthy person, babesiosis can cause fever, fatigue and chills, or no symptoms at all.
But the disease can be life-threatening for people with weakened immune systems, including cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, people with HIV and the elderly. Unlike Lyme disease, it can also be passed on through a blood transfusion.
The first case of the disease was detected in 1969 on Nantucket.
In 2008, there were 51 cases statewide. The number last year was 191, according to the state Department of Public Health. Plymouth County had 24 confirmed cases, one of the highest numbers in the state. Norfolk County had 13 cases.
Among the states, Massachusetts ranked second in number of reported cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, which began tracking cases in 18 states last year.
The numbers are still small compared to Lyme disease, which had just under 2,600 confirmed cases in Massachusetts in 2010, the most recent year for which state data was available.
But the increase in cases of babesiosis, and of the tick-borne illnesses Lyme disease and anaplasmosis, has public health officials on alert.
“It certainly is an increasing problem, and we’re seeing some very sick hospitalized patients who’ve been impacted by these diseases,” said Catherine Brown, the state’s public health veterinarian. “I think this is a real concern, and I certainly know from speaking with health-care providers who call me that they’re concerned as well.”
Brown said the rise in cases of babesiosis may be due to an increase in the populations of deer and rodents that carry the ticks – populations that continue to encroach on suburban neighborhoods.
One of the biggest concerns about babesiosis is that, unlike Lyme disease, it can be spread through blood transfusions, including to those who are more likely to become seriously ill from the disease. There’s also no government-approved test to screen donor blood for babesiosis, and because many people never develop symptoms, they may donate blood without knowing they have the disease.
A 2009 report by the Food and Drug Administration found
nine babesiosis-related deaths between 1997 and 2007 in which the
patient was infected through a blood transfusion. Eight of those deaths
occurred between 2005 and 2007.
“You could have babesiosis this month, get sick, get over it and still have a low level of germs in your bloodstream for many months,” said Dr. Philip Molloy, a rheumatologist at Jordan Hospital in Plymouth. “You could donate blood and potentially fatally infect some innocent recipient.”
Molloy is also the medical director at Norwood-based Imugen, where he is working with the Red Cross to test a method for screening donor blood for the disease.
Symptoms can include fever, chills, sweats, headache, body aches, loss of appetite, nausea, or fatigue
The babesiosis parasites infect and destroy red blood cells.
The illness can be severe and life- threatening, particularly in people with a weakened immune system and the elderly.
Complications can include low, unstable blood pressure, malfunction of vital organs and death.
Wear a light colored, long sleeved shirt and long pants when outdoors.
Use a bug repellent that contains DEET.
Check your entire body for ticks after returning indoors.
Keep grass cut short and clear brush from your yard.
READ MORE about this issue.
Christian Schiavone may be reached at cschiavone@ledger.com.
“You could have babesiosis this month, get sick, get over it and still have a low level of germs in your bloodstream for many months,” said Dr. Philip Molloy, a rheumatologist at Jordan Hospital in Plymouth. “You could donate blood and potentially fatally infect some innocent recipient.”
Molloy is also the medical director at Norwood-based Imugen, where he is working with the Red Cross to test a method for screening donor blood for the disease.
About babesiosis
Babesiosis is caused b microscopic parasites that infect red blood cells and are spread by certain ticks.Symptoms can include fever, chills, sweats, headache, body aches, loss of appetite, nausea, or fatigue
The babesiosis parasites infect and destroy red blood cells.
The illness can be severe and life- threatening, particularly in people with a weakened immune system and the elderly.
Complications can include low, unstable blood pressure, malfunction of vital organs and death.
Stay safe
If possible, avoid brushy, grassy or wooded areas.Wear a light colored, long sleeved shirt and long pants when outdoors.
Use a bug repellent that contains DEET.
Check your entire body for ticks after returning indoors.
Keep grass cut short and clear brush from your yard.
READ MORE about this issue.
Christian Schiavone may be reached at cschiavone@ledger.com.
