Babesia microti IgG Babesiosis tick bite

Babesia microti IgG blood test.

Frequent stays in tick-prone areas during the active season (March to November) for hunters and forest workers, pose a risk of contracting a tick bite with possible risk of en Babesia infection. However, campers and hikers visiting these areas are also among the risk groups.

After a tick bite, the incubation period for Babesia microti is 1 to 6 weeks, sometimes even up to 3 months at low infectious doses. After a blood transfusion, incubation periods of 1 to 9 weeks occur.

Antibodies to Babesia are not detectable until 7 to 10 days after the onset of symptoms. This standard serological test for Babesia, the immunofluorescence test has and good sensitivity and specificity.

The tick that is probably responsible for maintaining B. microti infections in Europe. This is a tick that resides mainly in the burrows of rodents and rarely bites humans.
Another route of transmission is blood transfusion. Infections related to blood transfusion are almost always caused by Babesia microti.

The patient is not contagious to others only through blood transfusion.