First reported case of imported human Babesia microti infection in Australia

摘要

Human babesiosis is an emerging tick-borne, zoonotic infection caused by an intra-erythrocytic parasite of the genus Babesia. We report the first Australian case of human B. microti infection in a traveller who had recently returned from North America and Europe.A previously well 60-year-old woman presented with 7 days of fevers. She initially experienced nausea and lethargy followed 2 days later by daily fevers up to 39.5°C with rigors, myalgia, headaches and a dry cough. Examination revealed scleral icterus and a tender palpable liver without splenomegaly. Ten days earlier she had returned from a 5-week holiday to New York City, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Sweden, Finland, the Baltic sea and Singapore.