Epidemiology
Of the species to infect humans, B. microti is most common in the Americas, whereas B. divergens is the predominant strain found in Europe. Endemic areas are regions of tick habitat, including the forest regions of the northeastern United States and temperate regions of Europe. Ixodidae, the tick vectors of B. microti, also transmit the better-known Lyme disease. For reasons that remain unclear, in areas endemic to both Lyme disease and babesiosis, Lyme disease transmission prevails and is more predominant in the region. Prevalence of babesiosis in malaria endemic regions remains unknown due to the likelihood of misdiagnosis as malaria. As the disease results in a high number of asympomatic individuals, many populations can possess high seroprevalence without much documentation of illness. For example, in Rhode Island and Nantucket, seroprevalence has been measured to be 20-25%. Prevalence of babesiosis is mostly documented during the months of May to September when tick activity in endemic regions is high.
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