As tick-borne diseases spread, understanding diverse parasites is crucial for better diagnosis and treatment. A new GLA-funded study by Dr. Choukri Ben Mamoun reveals key differences between the parasites Babesia MO1 and Babesia divergens. These findings could lead to more targeted therapies for babesiosis amid the growing threat of tick-borne infections.
Recent research by GLA-funded investigator Choukri Ben Mamoun, Ph.D. (Yale University) and colleagues has uncovered important differences between two related parasites, Babesia MO1 and Babesia divergens, which cause a tick-borne disease called babesiosis in humans and animals. Babesia MO1, previously thought to be a variant of B. divergens, is now known to be a closely related but distinct species with significant differences in its genetic makeup and biological behavior. The study used advanced genomic techniques to compare these two parasites, revealing that while their DNA is quite similar, they have evolved distinct features that affect how they grow, how they interact with their hosts, and how they respond to treatments.
In the United States, the majority of babesiosis cases are caused by B. microti, but some cases on the West Coast are attributed to B. duncani. Babesia MO1, which caused a few severe babesiosis cases in Missouri and other states, is more closely related to the European parasite, B. divergens. However, Babesia MO1 is primarily found in cottontail rabbits and is spread by rabbit ticks (Ixodes dentatus), whereas B. divergens mainly infects cattle and is transmitted by the castor bean tick (Ixodes ricinus). These parasites have evolved to thrive in those animals and ticks, leading to some distinct biological characteristics: Babesia MO1 grows slower in human red blood cells than B. divergens but appears less susceptible to the current treatments for babesiosis. Understanding these differences is crucial for developing effective strategies to control their spread and assess the risk of human infections, especially as the incidence of tick-borne diseases rises globally.
This research was published in the Emerging Microbes & Infections Journal and can be found here: Insights into the evolution, virulence and speciation of Babesia MO1 and Babesia divergens through multiomics analyses.
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