Babesia divergens IgG Antibodies and ABO Blood Types in Humans

Babesia is an intraerythrocytic parasite transmitted by ticks or through blood transfusion, and it can cause babesiosis with symptoms such as fever, anemia, and organ failure. The parasite is closely related to the mosquito-borne Plasmodium falciparum, which causes malaria. Several studies have shown that individuals with blood group O have a reduced risk of severe malaria compared to individuals with other ABO blood groups. Whether or not this is also the case for babesiosis has not yet been clearly investigated. In this study, serum samples from over 650 individuals were analyzed using an ELISA assay to detect antibodies against Babesia divergens. The ABO blood groups of the same samples were determined using a conventional method. There was no difference in B. divergens IgG antibody levels between the different ABO blood groups, nor was there any difference in the percentage of positive reactions in the ELISA against B. divergens between the different blood groups. This could indicate that the development and maintenance of B. divergens antibodies are not influenced by ABO blood groups.