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Babesia-infektion kan vara vanligare i Sverige än vi tidigare trott - Parasiten kan spridas via fästingar och blodtransfusion

Svensson, Joel LU ; Lazarevic, Vladimir LU ; Bläckberg, Jonas LU ; Olsson, Martin LU orcid and Persson, Kristina LU (2019) In Läkartidningen 116.
Abstract

Babesia is a malaria-like, intraerythrocytic parasite with more than 100 different species. It is a zoonosis and some of the species are transmitted to humans by ticks and also as a possible transfusion-transmitted infection. In Sweden the disease has been well known in veterinary medicine for a long time, but only a few but severe cases have been published in humans during the last decades. Common symptoms from human Babesia infections (babesiosis) are fever, chills and myalgia and they vary from subclinical to potentially fatal among those with risk factors such as immunosuppression and splenectomy. In the U.S. more than 2,000 cases of babesiosis are found yearly and it is one of the most frequent fatal infections following blood... (More)

Babesia is a malaria-like, intraerythrocytic parasite with more than 100 different species. It is a zoonosis and some of the species are transmitted to humans by ticks and also as a possible transfusion-transmitted infection. In Sweden the disease has been well known in veterinary medicine for a long time, but only a few but severe cases have been published in humans during the last decades. Common symptoms from human Babesia infections (babesiosis) are fever, chills and myalgia and they vary from subclinical to potentially fatal among those with risk factors such as immunosuppression and splenectomy. In the U.S. more than 2,000 cases of babesiosis are found yearly and it is one of the most frequent fatal infections following blood transfusion. A study from southern Sweden has recently revealed a seroprevalence of 16% of Babesia antibodies among Borrelia-infected persons. These results indicate that there is a need to broaden awareness of Babesia in Sweden.

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Abstract (Swedish)
Babesia är en malarialiknande parasit som är välkänd inom veterinärmedicinen och som sprids med fästingar till människor samt som möjlig transfusionssmitta. Symtom kan vara feber, trötthet och muskelvärk, men hos immunsupprimerade patienter eller vid rubbad mjältfunktion kan organsvikt och livshotande sjukdom snabbt uppkomma. I USA rapporteras drygt 2 000 fall per år. En ny studie från Sydsverige har visat att 16 procent av borreliainfekterade personer också har antikroppar mot Babesia. Resultaten tyder på att Babesia kan vara vanligare än vi tidigare har trott och bör få ökad uppmärksamhet.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
organization
alternative title
Babesiosis could be more common in Sweden than previously thought
publishing date
type
Contribution to specialist publication or newspaper
publication status
published
subject
in
Läkartidningen
volume
116
publisher
Swedish Medical Association
external identifiers
  • pmid:31265116
ISSN
0023-7205
language
Swedish
LU publication?
yes
id
1af52adc-a63c-47d2-9453-a4de009d9b5c
alternative location
https://lakartidningen.se/Klinik-och-vetenskap/Rapport/2019/06/Babesia-infektion-kan-vara-vanligare-i-Sverige-an-vi-tidigare-trott/
date added to LUP
2019-07-17 10:47:56
date last changed
2024-04-16 08:57:30
@misc{1af52adc-a63c-47d2-9453-a4de009d9b5c,
  abstract     = {{<p>Babesia is a malaria-like, intraerythrocytic parasite with more than 100 different species. It is a zoonosis and some of the species are transmitted to humans by ticks and also as a possible transfusion-transmitted infection. In Sweden the disease has been well known in veterinary medicine for a long time, but only a few but severe cases have been published in humans during the last decades. Common symptoms from human Babesia infections (babesiosis) are fever, chills and myalgia and they vary from subclinical to potentially fatal among those with risk factors such as immunosuppression and splenectomy. In the U.S. more than 2,000 cases of babesiosis are found yearly and it is one of the most frequent fatal infections following blood transfusion. A study from southern Sweden has recently revealed a seroprevalence of 16% of Babesia antibodies among Borrelia-infected persons. These results indicate that there is a need to broaden awareness of Babesia in Sweden.</p>}},
  author       = {{Svensson, Joel and Lazarevic, Vladimir and Bläckberg, Jonas and Olsson, Martin and Persson, Kristina}},
  issn         = {{0023-7205}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  month        = {{06}},
  publisher    = {{Swedish Medical Association}},
  series       = {{Läkartidningen}},
  title        = {{Babesia-infektion kan vara vanligare i Sverige än vi tidigare trott - Parasiten kan spridas via fästingar och blodtransfusion}},
  url          = {{https://lakartidningen.se/Klinik-och-vetenskap/Rapport/2019/06/Babesia-infektion-kan-vara-vanligare-i-Sverige-an-vi-tidigare-trott/}},
  volume       = {{116}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}