Biomaterial Database

Human babesiosis on Nantucket Island: prevalence of Babesia microti in ticks. 1980

J Piesman, and A Spielman

In order to derive direct evidence implicating Ixodes dammini as a vector of human babesiosis, we determined the prevalence of Babesia microti infection in nymphal I. dammini collected on Nantucket Island. In experiments in the laboratory we found that nymphs remained attached to hamsters for about 3 days. Babesial infection was transmitted more often during 54 hours of attachment then during 36 or 48 hours. Since parasites were demonstrable in salivary glands solely after 48 hours, we derived an engorgement index for identifying ticks attached for 2 days or more. Of 156 nymphal I. dammini, collected from white-footed mice in 1979, 86 were engorged sufficiently to satisfy this index of attachment, and the salivary glands of four contained B. microti parasites. This demonstrates that about 5% of nymphal I. dammini are infected in nature. Risk of human infection can be reduced by prompt removal of attached ticks.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007814	Larva	Wormlike or grublike stage, following the egg in the life cycle of insects, worms, and other metamorphosing animals.	Maggots,Tadpoles,Larvae,Maggot,Tadpole
D008404	Massachusetts	State bounded on the north by New Hampshire and Vermont, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Connecticut and Rhode Island, and on the west by New York.
D006224	Cricetinae	A subfamily in the family MURIDAE, comprising the hamsters. Four of the more common genera are Cricetus, CRICETULUS; MESOCRICETUS; and PHODOPUS.	Cricetus,Hamsters,Hamster
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001403	Babesia	A genus of tick-borne protozoan parasites that infests the red blood cells of mammals, including humans. There are many recognized species, and the distribution is world-wide.	Piroplasma,Babesias,Piroplasmas
D001404	Babesiosis	A group of tick-borne diseases of mammals including ZOONOSES in humans. They are caused by protozoa of the genus BABESIA, which parasitize erythrocytes, producing hemolysis. In the U.S., the organism's natural host is mice and transmission is by the deer tick IXODES SCAPULARIS.	Babesiasis,Piroplasmosis,Babesia Infection,Babesia Parasite Infection,Human Babesiosis,Babesia Infections,Babesia Parasite Infections,Babesiases,Babesioses,Babesioses, Human,Babesiosis, Human,Human Babesioses,Infection, Babesia,Infection, Babesia Parasite,Infections, Babesia,Infections, Babesia Parasite,Piroplasmoses
D012469	Salivary Glands	Glands that secrete SALIVA in the MOUTH. There are three pairs of salivary glands (PAROTID GLAND; SUBLINGUAL GLAND; SUBMANDIBULAR GLAND).	Gland, Salivary,Glands, Salivary,Salivary Gland
D013987	Ticks	Blood-sucking acarid parasites of the order Ixodida comprising two families: the softbacked ticks (ARGASIDAE) and hardbacked ticks (IXODIDAE). Ticks are larger than their relatives, the MITES. They penetrate the skin of their host by means of highly specialized, hooked mouth parts and feed on its blood. Ticks attack all groups of terrestrial vertebrates. In humans they are responsible for many TICK-BORNE DISEASES, including the transmission of ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPOTTED FEVER; TULAREMIA; BABESIOSIS; AFRICAN SWINE FEVER; and RELAPSING FEVER. (From Barnes, Invertebrate Zoology, 5th ed, pp543-44)	Ixodida,Ixodidas,Tick
D051379	Mice	The common name for the genus Mus.	Mice, House,Mus,Mus musculus,Mice, Laboratory,Mouse,Mouse, House,Mouse, Laboratory,Mouse, Swiss,Mus domesticus,Mus musculus domesticus,Swiss Mice,House Mice,House Mouse,Laboratory Mice,Laboratory Mouse,Mice, Swiss,Swiss Mouse,domesticus, Mus musculus