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 

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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.