UK records first case of rare tick-borne disease

One person is in hospital after being diagnosed with Babesiosis, the UK’s first case of the rare tick-borne disease.

A second person has been taken to hospital with a probable case of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), the second time the disease has been found in the UK, according to Public Health England.

Babesiosis is caused by a parasite that infects red blood cells, while TBE is a viral infection that affects the central nervous system.

Officials said cases of the infections were rare and the risk of being infected remained low.

PHE said both patients had been transferred to hospital, where they were receiving treatment and were expected to make a full recovery.

Most people with babesiosis will have either no symptoms or mild symptoms of infection, but people with weakened immune systems can become very ill and present with flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, muscle ache, fatigue and jaundice.

About two-thirds of people with TBE infections will have no symptoms, and, for those who develop symptoms, there are often two phases.

The first is associated with flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache and fatigue, which can then progress to a more serious second phase that involves the central nervous system, which can lead to meningitis, encephalitis and paralysis.

The risk of babesiosis or TBE for the general public is low, but a number of infections can develop following a tick bite, including Lyme disease, and there are measures people can take to reduce the risk of being bitten by ticks.

By IGNITED MINDS