by Virgil Teague

Created on: November 20, 2008

IN TREATING BABESOSIS, also known as Piroplasmosis, practitioners seem to be all over the map in their choices: oral antibiotics, injections of bicillin, and a pharmacopeias' worth of "possibly helpful" names such as Mepron, Ketch, Zithromax, Biaxin, Flagyl and Clindamycin show up when the topic is at hand.

Thanks to its frequent coexistence with Lyme Disease, a specific diagnosis can be difficult. We're speaking of the disease in humans, of course, but veterinarians see it most commonly in horses and cattle. Once infected, a horse may recover and live a normal life span, but it will be a carrier from that point on.

Babesiosis is a disease of the red blood cells in humans, delivered by the bite of the northern deer tick. It was first reported in Yugoslavia about 1957. In the United States, the primary vector seems to be the white-footed mouse, and the disease although considered relatively rare is most commonly seen in the costal islands of the northeast. A few cases have been reported in inland states where hunters pursue their hobby.

About a week after contact, symptoms appear and can include fever and general malise which may escalate into drenching sweats, chills, muscle and joint pain, anemia and headaches. Sleep disorders are not uncommon with babesosis. There are certain factors which may contribute to the severity of the disease, including age, spleenectomy, and immunodeficiency issues. As a result, many of the drugs being used to treat babeosis were originally and continue to be used in the treatment of HIV and AIDS.

Some victims of the disease undergo a three-week course of Mepron: three tablets of 2250 mg daily, taken with meals for best absorption. The cost of the three-week supply hovers around four hundred dollars at the consumer level. As with many of these medications, there are tolerance issues, which may be why both victims and practitioners are willing to experiment with medications. Mepron, by the way, is the brand name for atovaquone.

To date, there is no specific for babeosis, although the Merck Manual does indicate that Clindamycin and Zitromax offer some effective relief, with quinine as an alternative understandable in the light of the malaria-like symptoms most suffers exhibit. Treatment of the sleep disorders often accompanying the disease respond favorably to Ambien or melatonin.

The best suggestion: preventive measures where the disease is suspected to exist. That's small comfort for those who have contracted the disease, but the good news is that some of these drugs are beginning to show real promise for victims.

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