[Epidemiology and influencing factors of babesiosis: a review]

Babesiosis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by tick-borne Babesia species. Currently, more than 100 species of Babesia have been characterized, including at least 4 species that may infect humans. Babesiosis is prevalent across the world, and humans are commonly susceptible to babesiosis. The incidence of babesiosis appears an obvious seasonal distribution, and peaks in summer and autumn. Recently, the number of reported babesiosis cases has increased year by year with the improvement of diagnostic and monitoring capabilities, and the range of animal hosts has continued to expand. However, effective prevention and control of babesiosis remain challenging because of the lack of highly effective specific drugs and available vaccines. This review summarizes the pathogenic characteristics, epidemiological characteristics, epidemic process of babesiosis, and influencing factors of its epidemic, with an emphasis on natural and social factors, so as to provide the scientific evidence for risk assessment of babesiosis and formulation of babesiosis control strategy.