Abstract
Objective: To characterize the etiologic agent (WA1) of the first reported case of babesiosis acquired in Washington State. Design: Case report, and serologic, molecular, and epizootiologic studies. Setting: South-central Washington State. Patient: A 41-year-old immunocompetent man with an intact spleen who developed a moderately severe case of babesiosis. Measurements: Serum specimens from the patient were assayed by indirect immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) testing for reactivity with seven Babesia species and with WA1, which was propagated in hamsters inoculated with his blood. A Babesia-specific, ribosomal-DNA (rDNA) probe was hybridized to Southern blots of restriction-endonuclease-digested preparations of DNA from WA1, Babesia microti, and Babesia gibsoni. Serum specimens from 83 family members and neighbors were assayed for IFA reactivity with WA1 and B. microti. Small mammals and ticks were examined for Babesia infection. Results: The patient's serum had very strong IFA reactivity with WA1, strong reactivity with B. gibsoni (which infects dogs), but only weak reactivity with B. microti. DNA hybridization patterns with the rDNA probe clearly differentiated WA1 from 8. gibsoni and 8. microti. Four of the patient's neighbors had IFA titers to WA1 of 256. The tick vector and animal reservoir of WA1 have not yet been identified, despite trapping 83 mammals and collecting 235 ticks. Conclusions: WA1 is morphologically indistinguishable but antigenicaily and genotypically distinct from B. microti. Some patients elsewhere who were assumed to have been infected with B. microti may have been infected with WA1. Improved serodiagnostic and molecular techniques are needed for characterizing Babesia species and elucidating the epidemiology of babesiosis, an emergent zoonosis.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 284-290 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Annals of Internal Medicine |
| Volume | 119 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| State | Published - Aug 15 1993 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)
Cite this
Babesiosis in Washington State : A new species of Babesia? / Quick, Robert E.; Herwaldt, Barbara L.; Thomford, John W.; Garnett, Michael E.; Eberhard, Mark L.; Wilson, Marianna; Spach, David H.; Dickerson, Jennifer W.; Telford, Sam R.; Steingart, Karen R.; Pollock, Richard; Persing, David H.; Kobayashi, John M.; Juranek, Dennis D.; Conrad, Patricia A.
In: Annals of Internal Medicine, Vol. 119, No. 4, 15.08.1993, p. 284-290.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Babesiosis in Washington State
T2 - A new species of Babesia?
AU - Quick, Robert E.
AU - Herwaldt, Barbara L.
AU - Thomford, John W.
AU - Garnett, Michael E.
AU - Eberhard, Mark L.
AU - Wilson, Marianna
AU - Spach, David H.
AU - Dickerson, Jennifer W.
AU - Telford, Sam R.
AU - Steingart, Karen R.
AU - Pollock, Richard
AU - Persing, David H.
AU - Kobayashi, John M.
AU - Juranek, Dennis D.
AU - Conrad, Patricia A
PY - 1993/8/15
Y1 - 1993/8/15
N2 - Objective: To characterize the etiologic agent (WA1) of the first reported case of babesiosis acquired in Washington State. Design: Case report, and serologic, molecular, and epizootiologic studies. Setting: South-central Washington State. Patient: A 41-year-old immunocompetent man with an intact spleen who developed a moderately severe case of babesiosis. Measurements: Serum specimens from the patient were assayed by indirect immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) testing for reactivity with seven Babesia species and with WA1, which was propagated in hamsters inoculated with his blood. A Babesia-specific, ribosomal-DNA (rDNA) probe was hybridized to Southern blots of restriction-endonuclease-digested preparations of DNA from WA1, Babesia microti, and Babesia gibsoni. Serum specimens from 83 family members and neighbors were assayed for IFA reactivity with WA1 and B. microti. Small mammals and ticks were examined for Babesia infection. Results: The patient's serum had very strong IFA reactivity with WA1, strong reactivity with B. gibsoni (which infects dogs), but only weak reactivity with B. microti. DNA hybridization patterns with the rDNA probe clearly differentiated WA1 from 8. gibsoni and 8. microti. Four of the patient's neighbors had IFA titers to WA1 of 256. The tick vector and animal reservoir of WA1 have not yet been identified, despite trapping 83 mammals and collecting 235 ticks. Conclusions: WA1 is morphologically indistinguishable but antigenicaily and genotypically distinct from B. microti. Some patients elsewhere who were assumed to have been infected with B. microti may have been infected with WA1. Improved serodiagnostic and molecular techniques are needed for characterizing Babesia species and elucidating the epidemiology of babesiosis, an emergent zoonosis.
AB - Objective: To characterize the etiologic agent (WA1) of the first reported case of babesiosis acquired in Washington State. Design: Case report, and serologic, molecular, and epizootiologic studies. Setting: South-central Washington State. Patient: A 41-year-old immunocompetent man with an intact spleen who developed a moderately severe case of babesiosis. Measurements: Serum specimens from the patient were assayed by indirect immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) testing for reactivity with seven Babesia species and with WA1, which was propagated in hamsters inoculated with his blood. A Babesia-specific, ribosomal-DNA (rDNA) probe was hybridized to Southern blots of restriction-endonuclease-digested preparations of DNA from WA1, Babesia microti, and Babesia gibsoni. Serum specimens from 83 family members and neighbors were assayed for IFA reactivity with WA1 and B. microti. Small mammals and ticks were examined for Babesia infection. Results: The patient's serum had very strong IFA reactivity with WA1, strong reactivity with B. gibsoni (which infects dogs), but only weak reactivity with B. microti. DNA hybridization patterns with the rDNA probe clearly differentiated WA1 from 8. gibsoni and 8. microti. Four of the patient's neighbors had IFA titers to WA1 of 256. The tick vector and animal reservoir of WA1 have not yet been identified, despite trapping 83 mammals and collecting 235 ticks. Conclusions: WA1 is morphologically indistinguishable but antigenicaily and genotypically distinct from B. microti. Some patients elsewhere who were assumed to have been infected with B. microti may have been infected with WA1. Improved serodiagnostic and molecular techniques are needed for characterizing Babesia species and elucidating the epidemiology of babesiosis, an emergent zoonosis.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0027440637&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 8328736
AN - SCOPUS:0027440637
VL - 119
SP - 284
EP - 290
JO - Annals of Internal Medicine
JF - Annals of Internal Medicine
SN - 0003-4819
IS - 4
ER -