BELMONT, Maine — The family of a Waldo County woman who died last month is working to raise awareness about an illness transmitted by deer ticks that's more dangerous than Lyme.
Arlene Crabtree died last month of complications from babesiosis, a tickborne illness that destroys red blood cells. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said there have been 85 cases so far this year.
As ticks migrate into new areas of our state with an aging population, doctors are expected to see more cases.
Crabtree may have been 80 years old, but she never missed a chance to cut the rug. Besides dancing, she had a wicked green thumb and was otherwise healthy, despite a diagnosis of dementia.
"My mom had another good 10 years in her," Arlene's daughter, Deborah Crabtree, quipped.
In early May, Arlene started getting headaches and chills. She also felt fatigued and suffered from the shakes. After seeing a doctor, she was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection and sent home with medication, but her condition didn't improve. By the third visit to the emergency room, Arlene was unable to walk or talk.
"This is not a UTI. There was something else. It wasn't a stroke," Arlene's daughter, Angela, explained.
Bloodwork finally revealed Arlene had babesiosis, a rare tickborne infection.
Unlike Lyme disease, it is potentially life-threatening in elderly patients, immunocompromised individuals, and those without a spleen. Similar to malaria, the parasitic condition destroys red blood cells. If it's caught early, most patients can survive.
Two days after Arlene started the treatment, a combination of antiparasitic and antibiotic medications, she passed away.
"It was too late/ Her organs had started failing. She had sepsis and swelling of the brain," Angela explained, holding back tears.
In April, Arlene found a nymphal deer tick embedded in her eyelid. She was treated with antibiotics.
Her family claims doctors knew of the tick bite and should have ordered blood work for tickborne diseases immediately.
"Why didn't they initially consider that a viable reason for testing immediately?" Angela said shaking her head.
He said babesiosis symptoms include fever, chills, lethargy, joint pain, and body aches. Symptoms can appear to overlap with Lyme, but there is no distinctive bullseye rash. After ruling out Lyme and anaplasmosis, another tick-borne infection, treatment needs to begin.
"For higher-risk patients, if they are not getting better in about 48 to 72 hours, if they are sick, I may have to put them on that two-drug combination," Melton advised.
Melton said people who are at more risk, especially the elderly, need to do frequent tick checks and take preventative measures including wearing protective clothing while outdoors.
Deborah and Angela said they plan to lobby for legislation to make blood testing for all tick-borne infections more accessible for all Mainers.