Babesia microti Genome sequencing and assembly. Babesia microti

Human babesiosis due to Babesia microti is an emerging zoonosis of increasing importance due to rising prevalence and expanding geographic range. To investigate the origin and genetic diversity of this parasite, we sequenced the complete genomes of 38 B. microti samples from around the world, including deep coverage of clinical infections at endemic sites in the continental United States. We show that B. microti is an ancient species complex with extensive worldwide diversity, but that samples from the US possess limited genetic diversity while segregating into two major lineages residing in the Northeast and Midwest. Analysis of a case of azithromycin failure implicates bmRPL4 as the probable target of azithromycin in B. microti. Our results shed light on the origin, diversity, and evolution of B. microti, and create the foundation for further research on this emerging pathogen.

由微小巴贝西虫（Babesia microti）引发的人类巴贝西虫病是一种新发人畜共患病，随着其流行率不断攀升、地理分布持续扩张，该病的公共卫生重要性日益凸显。为探究该寄生虫的起源与遗传多样性，我们对全球范围内的38株微小巴贝西虫样本完成了全基因组测序，其中涵盖美国本土流行区域临床感染病例的高深度测序样本。研究结果显示，微小巴贝西虫是一个具有广泛全球遗传多样性的古老复合种，而美国本土的样本遗传多样性较为有限，且可划分为东北与中西部两大演化支系。对1例阿奇霉素治疗失败病例的分析表明，bmRPL4可能是微小巴贝西虫体内阿奇霉素的作用靶点。本研究结果阐明了微小巴贝西虫的起源、多样性与演化历程，为这一新发病原体的后续研究奠定了坚实基础。