Kimberly Sheridan, Bing Yang

New England School of Acupuncture, MCPHS University

Abstract: Babesiosis is a potentially fatal protozoa infection that can be transmitted by tick bite, organ transplant, blood transfusion, or congenitally. Current diagnostic and therapeutic options available in the United States are unreliable, often leaving patients with debilitating symptoms and high financial burden. This paper explores the potential of using Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to treat babesial infections by drawing parallels between babesia’s pathomechanisms and malaria-like illnesses described in the Huang Di Nei Jing. In addition, studies demonstrating the effectiveness of acupuncture, moxibustion, and Chinese herbal medicine against malaria and babesia are reviewed. The findings demonstrate that TCM could offer an effective, low-risk approach to treating babesiosis which warrants further investigation.
Keywords: babesiosis, tick-borne disease, Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal medicine, Lyme disease, malaria, protozoa infection, hemolytic anemia, integrative medicine
Babesiosis is a stealth epidemic sweeping across the United States that leaves patients with incapacitating symptoms and limited treatment options. The disease is often mistaken for the flu, as it presents with chills, fever, sweating, and fatigue. However, the infection more closely resembles malaria than the common flu: both are caused by protozoa that invade and destroy red blood cells, leading to severe complications such as hemolytic anemia, organ failure, and death. Despite advancements in modern medicine, patients and providers alike are challenged by growing infection rates, unreliable diagnostic tests, and limited treatment options. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) provides a unique framework for addressing malaria-like illnesses, including babesiosis. The NeiJing SuWen states, “In general, all malaria-like illnesses are caused by wind-pathogens.” (Ni, 1995). By taking this classical treatment approach to all malaria-like illnesses, TCM practitioners can bypass the need for diagnostic procedures required to prescribe modern pharmaceutical interventions and avoid subjecting patients to the harmful side effects induced by these drugs. This paper will explore how classical TCM approaches may provide more effective, affordable, low-risk treatment options for patients with babesiosis infections than allopathic medicine.
Babesiosis is rapidly emerging as a public health threat in the United States, with infection rates steadily increasing. Once considered rare, reported cases increased 25% between 2011, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began tracking the disease, and 2019 (Swanson, 2023). However, Tick-Borne Disease (TBD) experts believe the true number of infections is significantly higher due to frequent misdiagnosis and underreporting (Swanson, 2023). Babesiosis shares symptoms with common viral illnesses which makes it difficult for providers to recognize, especially in areas where TBDs are not well understood. If an active infection is suspected, there are no reliable methods of identifying it (Chand, 2024) and few options for treatment (Abraham, 2018). In high-risk regions such as Massachusetts, the disease has reached endemic levels despite increasing public awareness of the importance of tick bite prevention. Beyond ticks, babesia can also be transmitted through blood transfusions, organ donation, and congenital transmission, posing risks to the national blood supply and fetal health (Swanson, 2023). Given these challenges, the need for effective, accessible, and alternative treatment options is greater than ever.
Current standard treatment guidelines for babesiosis include a combination of antibiotics and antimalarial drugs such as atovaquone plus azithromycin or, in more persistent cases, clindamycin plus quinine (Krause, 2000). However, these treatments come with significant limitations including reports of inefficacy, drug resistance, and severe side effects (Abraham, 2018). Patients who undergo these pharmaceutical therapies frequently report adverse effects such as gastrointestinal distress, rash, tinnitus (Krause, 2000), and, in the use of quinine, high-frequency hearing loss (Roche, 1990). These side effects can be particularly distressing to the immunosuppressed, elderly, and neonate populations who are at higher risk of developing severe infections (CDC, 2024). Severe babesiosis can also result from delayed or misdiagnosis because the concentration of the protozoa in the bloodstream doubles every 22 hours. Complications of severe babesiosis include “respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary edema, congestive heart failure, renal failure, coma, and splenic rupture” (Abraham, 2018). 
TCM practitioners have successfully treated malaria-like illnesses for over two millennia without the need for laboratory tests or pharmaceutical interventions. The Huangdi Neijing Suwen, believed to have been written around 2600 BC, states, “Malaria arises from the invasion of wind-cold or wind-heat. The Qi is obstructed, the body’s energy is exhausted, and the pathogen causes alternating chills and fever.” (Ni, 1995).  The book goes on to describe the classic cyclical fever, exhaustion, splitting headache, and extreme night sweats commonly associated with protozoa infections, mirroring modern understanding of the disease pathophysiology. The Suwen also acknowledges that distinct symptoms will manifest in patients based on the meridian affected by the external wind-pathogen, and outlines acupuncture protocols to be used for each unique pattern of malaria-like illness. Modern research on malaria in African children has shown acupuncture and moxibustion combined with western medicine to reduce fever, parasite load in the blood, and duration of illness more quickly than western medications alone (Lin, 2007). Given the overlap in allopathic treatments, it’s reasonable to assume that acupuncture and moxibustion would be equally as effective against babesiosis as malaria. 
In addition to acupuncture, classical treatment of wind-pathogens includes Chinese herbal medicine. In the case of the African malaria patients, one reason for the success may have been the significant artemisinin content of the plant used in moxibustion, Artemisia vulgaris (Numonov, 2019). Artemisinin is a bioactive compound whose derivatives have been used in malaria treatments worldwide since it was isolated by Chinese researchers in the 1950s (Long, 2024). More recently, it has been used by medical doctors who specialize in TBDs to treat babesiosis. The Chinese herb, Qing Hao (Artemisia annua) is known to have the highest artemisinin content of all the Artemisia species (Numonov, 2019), and it has been to treat malaria-like illnesses for millennia. Preliminary research on other Chinese herbs, including Huang Qin (Scutellaria baicalensis), Hu Zhang (Polygonum cuspidatum), and Hu Jiao (Piperis fructus), show strong activity against babesia in vitro. Unlike pharmaceutical treatments, these ancient medicinals have been documented to have few side effects, offering a gentle yet effective approach to treating babesiosis, particularly for vulnerable populations (Zhang, 2021). 
The rise of babesiosis in the United States highlights the need for effective, accessible, and well-tolerated treatment options. While modern medicine relies on antimalarial drugs and antibiotics, these treatments come with significant side effects, high rates of inefficacy, and growing concerns about resistance. TCM offers an alternative perspective, viewing babesia as a wind-pathogen that disrupts the body’s Qi and blood circulation, as is outlined in the Neijing Suwen. Classical TCM treatments, such as acupuncture, moxibustion, and Chinese herbal medicine, have been used for centuries to combat malaria-like illnesses. Modern research confirms artemisinin’s effectiveness against both malaria and babesia, bridging the gap between ancient wisdom and contemporary science. By integrating TCM principles with modern diagnostics and treatment strategies, practitioners can expand the range of care available to patients, especially in endemic areas like Massachusetts where babesia infections are rapidly increasing. As the medical community continues to grapple with misdiagnosis, treatment resistance, and accessibility barriers, revisiting TCM’s time-tested approaches may provide a tolerable, low-risk, and cost-effective solution for babesiosis and other TBDs.

References 

Abraham, A., Brasov, I., Thekkiniath, J., Kilian, N., Lawres, L., Gao, R., DeBus, K., He, L., Yu, X., Zhu, G., Graham, M. M., Liu, X., Molestina, R., & Ben Mamoun, C. (2018). Establishment of a continuous in vitro culture of Babesia duncani in human erythrocytes reveals unusually high tolerance to recommended therapies. The Journal of biological chemistry, 293(52), 19974–19981. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.AC118.005771

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Babesiosis: Clinical overview for healthcare providers. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Retrieved March 24, 2025 from www.cdc.gov/babesiosis/hcp/clinical-overview/index

Chand, M., Vydyam, P., Pal, A. C., Thekkiniath, J., Darif, D., Li, Z., Choi, J.-Y., Magni, R., Luchini, A., Tonnetti, L., Horn, E. J., Tufts, D. M., & Ben Mamoun, C. (2024). A set of diagnostic tests for detection of active Babesia duncani infection. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 147, 107178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2024.107178

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Author information:

Kimberly Sheridan is an award-winning former nonprofit executive who brings her enthusiasm for creative

problem-solving and deep curiosity to her studies at the New England School of Acupuncture (2025). She draws on a

diverse background in program development and organizational leadership to create innovative, patient-centered solutions.

風邪與巴貝斯蟲：治療瘧疾類疾病的古典與現代視角

Kimberly Sheridan, Bing Yang
新英格蘭中醫學院，麻薩諸塞州藥科健康大學

摘要：巴貝斯蟲病是一種可能致命的原蟲感染，可透過蜱叮咬、器官移植、輸血或先天性傳播。目前，美國現有的診斷和治療方案並不可靠，常常導致患者出現嚴重的症狀並承受沉重的經濟負擔。本文透過比較巴貝斯蟲的發病機制與《黃帝內經》中所描述的瘧疾樣疾病，探討了利用傳統中醫藥治療巴貝斯蟲感染的潛力。此外，本文也回顧了針灸和中草藥治療瘧疾和巴貝斯蟲病的有效性研究。研究結果表明，中醫藥可以提供一種有效且低風險的巴貝斯蟲病治療方法，值得進一步研究。
關鍵字：巴貝斯蟲病、蜱傳疾病、中醫、針灸、草藥、萊姆病、瘧疾、原蟲感染、溶血性貧血、中西醫結合
巴貝斯蟲病是一種席捲美國的隱形流行病，患者會出現難以忍受的症狀，且治療選擇有限。此病常被誤認為是流感，因為其症狀包括發冷、發熱、出汗和疲勞。然而，與普通流感相比，巴貝斯蟲病與瘧疾的相似之處更為明顯：兩者都是由原生動物引起的，這些原生動物會侵入並破壞紅血球，導致溶血性貧血、器官衰竭甚至死亡等嚴重併發症。儘管現代醫學取得了進步，但患者和醫護人員仍然面臨著感染率上升、診斷檢測不可靠以及治療選擇有限的挑戰。傳統中醫 (TCM) 為治療瘧疾類疾病（包括巴貝斯蟲病）提供了一個獨特的框架。 《內經素問》指出 「凡瘧疾類疾病，皆由風邪所致。」(倪氏，1995 年）。透過採用這種傳統療法治療所有瘧疾類疾病，中醫師可以省去開立現代藥物幹預所需的診斷程序，並避免患者遭受這些藥物引起的有害副作用。本文將探討傳統中醫藥療法如何為巴貝斯蟲病患者提供比對抗療法更有效、更經濟、更低風險的治療方案。
巴貝斯蟲病正迅速成為美國的公共衛生威脅，感染率穩定上升。這種疾病曾被認為是罕見的，但自2011年美國疾病管制與預防中心開始追蹤該疾病以來，報告病例數截至2019年增長了25% (Swanson, 2023)。然而，蜱傳疾病 (TBD) 專家認為，由於經常出現誤診和漏報，實際感染人數要高得多 (Swanson, 2023)。巴貝斯蟲病的症狀與常見的病毒性疾病相似，這使得醫護人員難以識別，尤其是在對TBD了解甚少的地區。即使懷疑有活動性感染，目前也缺乏可靠的辨識方法 (Chand, 2024)，治療方案也十分有限 (Abraham, 2018)。在麻薩諸塞州等高風險地區，儘管大眾對預防蜱叮咬重要性的認識不斷提高，但該疾病仍已達到地方性流行水平。除了蜱蟲，巴貝斯蟲還可以透過輸血、器官捐贈和先天性傳播，對國家血液供應和胎兒健康構成風險（Swanson，2023）。鑑於這些挑戰，對有效、便捷且替代性治療方案的需求比以往任何時候都更加迫切。
目前，巴貝斯蟲病的標準治療指引包括抗生素和抗瘧藥物的合併使用，例如阿托伐醌合併阿奇黴素，或在病情較為頑固的情況下合併克林黴素合併奎寧 (Krause, 2000)。然而，這些治療方法有顯著的局限性，包括無效、抗藥性和嚴重副作用的報告 (Abraham, 2018)。接受這些藥物治療的患者經常會報告胃腸不適、皮疹、耳鳴 (Krause, 2000) 等不良反應，以及在使用奎寧治療時出現的高頻聽力損失 (Roche, 1990)。這些副作用對於免疫抑制、老年人和新生兒群體來說尤其令人痛苦，因為他們有嚴重感染的風險更高 (CDC, 2024)。嚴重的巴貝斯蟲病也可能由延誤或誤診造成，因為血液中原蟲的濃度每 22 小時就會增加一倍。嚴重巴貝斯蟲病的併發症包括「呼吸窘迫症候群、肺水腫、充血性心臟衰竭、腎衰竭、昏迷和脾臟破裂」（Abraham，2018 年）。
兩千年來，中醫從業人員無需實驗室檢測或藥物幹預，便成功治療了類似瘧疾的疾病。據信成書於西元前2600年左右的《黃帝內經素問》指出：「瘧疾之病，風寒或風熱侵襲，氣滯神疲，邪氣侵襲，則寒熱交替，故名瘧疾。」（Ni，1995 年）書中描述了對本《素問》也指出，根據受外部風邪影響的經絡，患者會出現不同的症狀，並概述了針對每種瘧疾樣疾病的針灸方案。現代非洲兒童瘧疾研究表明，針灸與西方醫學結合，比單純西藥治療更能迅速降低發燒、減少血液中的寄生蟲數量並縮短病程 (Lin, 2007)。鑑於對抗療法的重疊性，我們有理由認為針灸對巴貝斯蟲病的療效與對瘧疾的療效相同。
除了針灸，治療風邪的經典方法還包括中草藥。就非洲瘧疾患者而言，成功的原因之一可能是用於艾灸的植物－普通艾蒿（Artemisia vulgaris）中含有豐富的青蒿素（Numonov，2019）。青蒿素是一種生物活性化合物，自1950年代中國研究人員分離出青蒿素衍生物以來，其衍生物已在世界各地用於瘧疾治療（Long，2024）。近年來，專攻蜱傳疾病（TBD）的醫生也用它來治療巴貝斯蟲病。中草藥青蒿（Artemisia annua）是所有蒿屬植物中青蒿素含量最高的（Numonov，2019），數千年來一直用於治療瘧疾類疾病。初步研究表明，包括黃芩（Scutellaria baicalensis）、虎杖（Polygonum cuspidatum）和胡椒（Piperis fructus）在內的其他中草藥在體外具有強大的抗巴貝斯蟲活性。與藥物治療不同，這些古老的中藥已被證實副作用極少，為治療巴貝斯蟲病提供了一種溫和而有效的方法，尤其適用於易感人群（Zhang，2021）。
美國巴貝斯蟲病的增加凸顯了對有效、便利且耐受性良好的治療方案的需求。雖然現代醫學依賴抗瘧藥物和抗生素，但這些治療方法副作用顯著、無效率高，且抗藥性問題日益令人擔憂。中醫則提供了另一種視角，正如《內經素問》所述，將巴貝斯蟲視為一種擾亂人體氣血循環的風邪；針灸、艾灸和中草藥等經典中醫療法幾個世紀以來一直被用於對抗瘧疾類疾病，現代研究證實了青蒿素對瘧疾和巴貝斯蟲均有效，從而彌合了古代智慧與當代科學研究之間的差距。透過將中醫原理與現代診斷和治療策略相結合，醫生可以擴大患者的醫療服務範圍，尤其是在馬薩諸塞州等巴貝斯蟲感染迅速增加的流行地區。隨著醫學界持續努力解決誤診、治療阻力和可近性障礙等問題，重新檢視中醫久經考驗的方法或許能為巴貝斯蟲病和其他蜱傳疾病提供一種可容忍、低風險且經濟有效的解決方案。

Kimberly Sheridan 曾是一位屡获殊荣的非营利组织高管，她将自己对创造性解决问题的热情和强烈的好奇心带到了新英格兰中医学院（2025）的学习中。她凭借在项目开发和组织领导方面的丰富经验，致力于打造以患者为中心的创新解决方案。