Primary prevention
No prophylactic treatment is available for high-risk patient groups.
If possible, areas endemic for Ixodes scapularis (deer tick) should be avoided between May and September, especially tick-infested areas.[1] If exposure to ticks is unavoidable, exposed skin should be covered with light-colored clothes, and skin and clothes should be frequently inspected visually to identify ticks prior to attachment. Application of tick and insect repellents that contain DEET to skin and clothes provides additional protection, as does applying permethrin to clothes.[1] Tick feeding may last for 48 to 72 hours or more. Attached ticks should be removed promptly, as the risk of infection increases with the amount of time the tick remains attached.
Secondary prevention
Babesiosis is a nationally notifiable disease in the US and should be reported by local and state health departments through the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As with primary prevention, preventive measures are limited to avoidance of exposure to deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis) in areas endemic for disease, and to applying insect repellent containing DEET when in wooded areas.
As babesiosis is not usually transmitted from person to person, no screening or prophylaxis is required for contacts of infected patients. However, there is a risk of transmission from blood donors with the advent of transfusion-related cases.[21] Consequently, there has been discussion in the scientific community regarding the need for routine screening of blood donors for babesiosis.[44] The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved nucleic acid and arrayed fluorescent immunoassay tests for use as donor screening tests on whole blood, blood components, and living organ and tissue donors. The FDA recommends regional testing for Babesia in blood donor samples using nucleic acid tests.[16]
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