This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
Babesiosis is a rapidly emerging disease in the U.S., Europe, and Asia that is caused by infection with a protozoan parasite. The parasite, Babesia microti, is closely related to the causative agent of malaria and is transmitted through the bite of ixodid ticks. Symptoms of babesiosis include malaria-like fevers, shaking chills, and acute anemia; severe cases can be fatal. In the past few years, the annual number of human cases of babesiosis in Dutchess County, NY has increased from zero to sixty and shows no signs of abating.
In the eastern U.S., B. microti is transmitted by the same ticks that transmit the bacteria that cause Lyme disease and human granulocytic anaplasmosis. Indeed, a single tick bite can result in coinfection with all three pathogens. Unfortunately, little is known about the ecology of babesiosis.
The investigators will determine the wildlife species responsible for infecting ticks with Babesia microti. They will then incorporate this information into large-scale field experiments to test the causes and consequences of environmental variation in human risk of exposure to tick-borne pathogens. This research will transform scientific understanding of what determines risk of exposure to this serious disease in the midst of its rapid and alarming emergence. In addition, the project will support a postdoctoral scientist, a laboratory technician, and three field assistants, as well as two undergraduates who will conduct independent research projects at Bard College.
