Babesia is a parasitic protozoan that resembles malaria but is transmitted by ticks. Babesia causes the disease known as Babesiosis (other names are Babesiosis, Babesiosis). Babesia infection often coexists with Lyme disease and / or other tick-borne infections. The symptoms of babesiosis infection range from mild to severe. Mild forms very often go unrecognized because they are mistakenly taken for symptoms of Lyme disease. Early adopters often report high fever and chills. Chronic infections may be mildly symptomatic, and the most common symptoms are: intermittent fever or low-grade fever, chills and joint pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, sweating, and "inability to take a full breath".
Co-infection with Lyme spirochetes exacerbates the symptoms of both diseases, then their course becomes more severe and the consequences for the body are more serious. Symptoms may then include severe headaches, haemolytic anemia, central nervous system involvement, high fever and convulsions. A synergistic, mutually enhancing effect of Borrelia and Babesia spirochetes on the body was found. Borrelia DNA occurs more clearly and lingers longer in the bloodstream when co-infection with Babesia occurs. Then the negative effects on the joints, heart and nervous system are more serious. In some cases of co-infections, transverse myelitis with paresis of the arms and legs was found. The development of the disease is more rapid from the beginning, the convalescence period is longer, and the spectrum of symptoms is much wider.