Which parasite is a protozoan that can be transmitted by tick bites and blood transfusions?

Which parasite is a protozoan that can be transmitted by tick bites and blood transfusions?

• A. Babesia
• B. Plasmodium falciparum
• C. Toxoplasma gondii
• D. Leishmania donovani

Answer: (A)

Babesia is a protozoan parasite that infects red blood cells and is transmitted by Ixodes ticks, with the additional risk of spread through blood transfusions from an infected donor. This combination—tick bite transmission plus transfusion transmission—is characteristic of Babesia. Clinically it can cause fever and hemolysis, and on a blood smear the parasites often appear inside red blood cells, sometimes forming a Maltese cross configuration, which is a helpful diagnostic clue. In contrast, malaria-causing Plasmodium falciparum is mosquito-borne, Toxoplasma gondii is transmitted mainly via cat feces or undercooked meat, and Leishmania is spread by sandflies, not ticks.

Babesia is a protozoan parasite that infects red blood cells and is transmitted by Ixodes ticks, with the additional risk of spread through blood transfusions from an infected donor. This combination—tick bite transmission plus transfusion transmission—is characteristic of Babesia. Clinically it can cause fever and hemolysis, and on a blood smear the parasites often appear inside red blood cells, sometimes forming a Maltese cross configuration, which is a helpful diagnostic clue. In contrast, malaria-causing Plasmodium falciparum is mosquito-borne, Toxoplasma gondii is transmitted mainly via cat feces or undercooked meat, and Leishmania is spread by sandflies, not ticks.