PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 17, 2023
A new study found that cases of the tick-borne disease babesiosis rose at a steeper rate in Maine than in all other states except Vermont in recent years. According to the study published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, babesiosis cases in Maine rose more than 1,400% in an eight-year span, from nine cases in 2011 to 138 cases in 2019. Many people who have babesiosis have no symptoms, while others experience flu-like symptoms. It can be fatal, however, particularly for people who are immunocompromised or don’t have a spleen.