Tick-Borne Disease Babesiosis Spreads to Mid-Atlantic Region

A new study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology reveals that cases of babesiosis, a tick-borne disease, are increasing in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, including Virginia. Previously concentrated in the Northeast and Upper Midwest, babesiosis is now spreading south, with human cases reported for the first time between 2009 and 2024 in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Ticks carrying the disease have also been found in these states and in Delaware. Transmitted primarily through deer tick bites, babesiosis infects red blood cells and can cause flu-like symptoms. It poses serious health risks for individuals with weakened immune systems or underlying liver or kidney conditions, and for people over 50. The study urges healthcare providers in the Mid-Atlantic to be alert for babesiosis and consider it, along with potential coinfections like Lyme disease and anaplasmosis, when diagnosing patients with possible tick-borne illnesses.