Case report: A Ten Year Old Boy with Unexplained Hemolytic Anemia

Babesiosis is a tick - borne zoonotic disease transmitted by the intracellular protozoan from genus Babesia. Infection with is uncommon and symptomatic disease is mostly confined to splenectomized patients. It may be transmitted by blood transfusion. In splenectomized patients, the disease has an acute onset and is often fatal. Unsplenectomized patients may experience a milder self - limiting disease, although intravascular hemolysis does occur. The diagnosis is made from the peripheral blood film, where the parasites, looking very similar to malaria, are seen inside the red cells. In this case report, we describe a child with unexplained hemolytic anemia with presumptive diagnosis of autoimmune hemolytic anemia treated with Steroids and immunosuppressive treatment with no response. After review of his investigation, surprisingly, his peripheral blood film revealed Babesiosis.