A tick-borne illness called babesiosis is spreading in the northeastern U.S.
A tick-borne illness called babesiosis is becoming more common in the northeastern U.S. (Image credit: kmatija via Getty Images)
A tick-borne parasite has invaded new territory in the northeastern U.S. and can now be considered “endemic” in three additional states, meaning it now regularly infects people in places where it didn’t before.
The microscopic parasite, a single-celled organism called Babesia microti, can spread to humans through the bites of blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis), also called deer ticks. The parasite invades red blood cells and causes an infection called babesiosis. Many babesiosis cases are asymptomatic, but some people develop flu-like symptoms, such as fever, body aches and fatigue, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(opens in new tab) (CDC).
Read more here: https://www.livescience.com/tick-borne-parasite-is-spreading-in-the-northeast-cdc-says
