Severe Babesiosis With Heavy Parasitemia in an Immunocompetent Patient Treated Successfully With Red Cell Exchange Transfusion

Babesiosis is a zoonotic disease caused by a protozoa Babesia. It is transmitted through a tick vector and affects red blood cells. The clinical manifestation of Babesiosis varies and can range from asymptomatic infection to fatal multi-organ failure and death. The severity of infection varies with different Babesia species and also the immunity of the host. The management of Babesiosis depends on the severity of infection and the burden of parasitemia. Here we present a case of severe Babesiosis in an immunocompetent patient with heavy parasitemia requiring red blood cell exchange transfusion (ET).