Klinische Pädiatrie
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Klinische Pädiatrie · May 1999
Review[Babesiosis--a dangerous infection for splenectomized children and adults].
Babesiosis is a world-wide distributed protozoal zoonosis, and Babesia spp. are the most ubiquitous of the blood parasites of mammals, except the trypanosomes. The tick-transmitted protozoa infect various vertebrate reservoir hosts, like rodents, cattle and horses. Approximately 100 million cattle is exposed to the disease. ⋯ Most of the patients suffer from mild to moderate symptoms, whereas in asplenic individuals a fatal course of the infection prevails. Tick-bites in areas where human babesiosis occurs--mainly parts of Europe and the USA--can result in a deadly illness for persons without a spleen. The effect of treatment in splenectomized patients and when treatment is delayed, still is poor.