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Babesiosis and its vector were first described more than five decades ago. Infection is most often transmitted through the bite of an ixodid tick, disease is caused by protozoa of the genus Babesia, and pathology is mostly determined by the organism's intraerythrocytic residence after infection. Distribution is worldwide but most prevalent in geographic endemic clusters; in the U.S., New England is one such cluster. In Connecticut from 2001 to 2019, babesiosis incidence increased >10-fold relative to other endemic areas. The most common presentation is a flu-like illness, but neurologic symptoms have been noted, especially in those who are older than 50 years or immunocompromised.
Researchers at Yale-New Haven Hospital studied the characteri…