Babesia microti a rare infective cause of transfusion dependent anaemia and proteinuria, eight cases series report seen over nine years from a Benin City University Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Babesiosis (piroplasmosis) is transmitted to humans by the bite of ticks commonly found on the body of dogs and deers infected with Babesia microti (a protozoa). From the literature only about three hundred human cases had being reported, with all in adults. A nine-year (2006 to 2015) report of eight cases (including a child) of Babesia microti infection presenting as transfusion dependent anaemia and proteinuria amidst other varied clinical presentation is presented to appraise laboratory and clinical physicians of such uncommonly reported condition in humans. Combination of clindamycin and quinine aborted the transfusion dependent anaemia and proteinuria amidst other varied clinical presentation in less than twenty- four hours of therapy for all eight cases of Babesiosis. In the absence of gametocytes, schizonts and brown – black malaria pigments and sometimes presence of characteristic 'maltese cross' in a thin blood film stained with Giemsa stain from patients with classical clinical presentation of Babesiosis resembling malaria; Babesiosis should be first on the list of differential diagnosis especially when there is a history of contact with animals like dogs which habour the ticks which carry Babesia microti which in these cases they all had contact with dogs as pets at home.

Keywords

• Bebesiosis
• anaemia
• proteinuria
• maltese cross