Definition of "babesiosis" [babesiosis]

• A tick-borne protozoan infection of animals, such as Texas fever of cattle, that is caused by species of Babesia. (noun)
• A human protozoan disease of red blood cells caused by Babesia species that is transmitted by the northern deer tick, characterized by fever, malaise, and hemolytic anemia, and prevalent on the coastal islands of the northeast United States. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Diseases that have previously been thought to have limited impact, such as babesiosis, must be watched closely in a changing climate to assess how environmental conditions may tip the scale and cause more significant impacts on ecosystems, animals, and people."
• "Between 2001 and 2008, researchers noted a 20-fold increase in babesiosis in the Lower Hudson Valley in New York."
• "Between Jan. 1 and Aug. 20, 314 cases of babesiosis from ticks were reported."