Blood and Tissue Protozoacontinued Clinical Microbiology Review 259
ORGANISM CLASSIFICATION TRANSMISSION DIAGNOSIS OTHER
Babesia Symptoms resemble
malaria.
Sporozoan Tick bite, blood
transfusionWright’s-stained thick & thin blood
smears.
Parasites in RBCs. 2–4 μm. Pear-shaped.
Usually in pairs or tetrads (Maltese cross).(From Leventhal R,
Cheadle RF. Medical
Parasitology: A Self-
Instructional Text,
5th ed. Philadelphia:
FA Davis; 2002:121.)(From Leventhal R,
Cheadle RF. Medical
Parasitology: A Self-
Instructional Text,
5th ed. Philadelphia:
FA Davis; 2002:121.)continued...