Treatment of Human Babesiosis: Then and Now

• Main Authors: Isaline Renard, Choukri Ben Mamoun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
• Series: Pathogens
• Subjects: babesiosis; <i>Babesia microti</i>; <i>Babesia duncani</i>; parasite; therapy; atovaquone
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/10/9/1120

Babesiosis is an emerging tick-borne disease caused by apicomplexan parasites of the genus <i>Babesia</i>. With its increasing incidence worldwide and the risk of human-to-human transmission through blood transfusion, babesiosis is becoming a rising public health concern. The current arsenal for the treatment of human babesiosis is limited and consists of combinations of atovaquone and azithromycin or clindamycin and quinine. These combination therapies were not designed based on biological criteria unique to <i>Babesia</i> parasites, but were rather repurposed based on their well-established efficacy against other apicomplexan parasites. However, these compounds are associated with mild or severe adverse events and a rapid emergence of drug resistance, thus highlighting the need for new therapeutic strategies that are specifically tailored to <i>Babesia</i> parasites. Herein, we review ongoing babesiosis therapeutic and management strategies and their limitations, and further review current efforts to develop new, effective, and safer therapies for the treatment of this disease.