The first case of human babesiosis was reported in the literature in 1957. The clinical disease has sporadically occurred as rare case reports in North America and Europe in the subsequent decades. Since the new millennium, especially in the last decade, many more cases have apparently appeared not only in these regions but also in Asia, South America, and Africa. More than 20,000 cases of human babesiosis have been reported in North America alone. In several cross-sectional surveys, exposure to Babesia spp. has been demonstrated within urban and rural human populations with clinical babesiosis reported in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent humans. This review serves to highlight the widespread distribution of these tick-borne pathogens in humans, their tick vectors in readily accessible environments such as parks and recreational areas, and their phylogenetic relationships.

Cryptosporidium is one of the most important parasites in poultry, and this pathogen can infect more than 30 avian species. The present study investigated the infection rate of Cryptosporidium among broiler chicken flocks. A total of 385 fecal samples from broiler chickens in 7 regions of Zhejiang Province collected from November 2010 to January 2012 were examined by microscopy. Thirty-eight (10%) samples were positive for Cryptosporidium infection, and 3 genotypes (Cryptosporidium baileyi, Cryptosporidium meleagridis, and avian genotype II) were identified by PCR and sequencing. A phylogenetic tree of the isolates was analyzed. These results suggest that cryptosporidiosis is widespread in poultry in Zhejiang Province, and is a potential threat to public health as well as the economy. This is the first report about the infection rate and molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium in broiler chickens in Zhejiang. Cryptosporidium est l’un des parasites les plus importants de la volaille, et cet agent pathogène peut infecter plus de 30 espèces aviaires. La présente étude a examiné le taux d’infection de Cryptosporidium chez les poulets de chair. Un total de 385 échantillons fécaux de poulets de chair dans 7 régions de la province du Zhejiang, recueillis de novembre 2010 à janvier 2012, ont été examinés par microscopie. Trente-huit (10 %) étaient positifs pour l’infection à Cryptosporidium, et 3 génotypes (Cryptosporidium baileyi, Cryptosporidium meleagridis, génotype aviaire II) ont été identifiés par PCR et séquençage. Un arbre phylogénétique des isolats a été analysé. Ces résultats suggèrent que la cryptosporidiose est répandue chez les volailles dans la province du Zhejiang, et est une menace potentielle pour la santé publique ainsi que l’économie. Ceci est le premier rapport sur le taux d’infection et la caractérisation moléculaire de Cryptosporidium dans les poulets de chair dans le Zhejiang.