Babesiosis and other protists causing systemic infection.

We are glad to bring this issue to our readers, with a plethora of information on the often overlooked parasite, Babesia. Babesiosis is a common tick-borne parasitic infection of animals. Although infrequent, human babesiosis is found to occur in certain geographic niches depending on the distribution of the vector, Ixodes ticks.[1] The clinical manifestations of this zoonotic disease can range from asymptomatic infection to life-threatening illness.[2] The laboratory diagnosis of babesiosis is a challenge, as the merozoites of Babesia species closely resemble those of Plasmodium falciparum. Hence, conventional microscopy using Giemsa or the quantitative buffy coat method which are widely used for the diagnosis of hemoparasites may not be sufficient for a fail-proof diagnosis of Babesia.[3] The symposium on babesiosis offers an in-depth information regarding the various aspects of the disease. Also in this issue, the reputed entomologist Dr. Jeremy Gray answers various questions on babesiosis in the “face to face” section and shares his expertise in the field of tick-borne diseases including babesiosis.

Yet another hemoparasite of endemic importance is Leishmania. Our invited guest commentary on visceral leishmaniasis is an informative treat to all our readers. It covers all the relevant aspects of visceral leishmaniasis, including treatment options and drug resistance in the parasite. This issue also presents an original research article highlighting the comparative hematological findings in the different age groups affected with kala-azar.

Honey interestingly has been an important ingredient in our daily food since our childhood. The use of honey dates back to several 1000 years, as evidenced by its reference in the vedic texts and also in the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. Vedic scriptures denote honey as nature's most wonderful gift to mankind with many medicinal values.[4] The original research article throws light on its antiacanthamoebic properties as well.

The Microsporidian parasites, which are principal colonizers of the intestinal tract, are known to cause systemic disease in innumocompromised patients, most commonly in people living with HIV and AIDS, posttransplant recipients, etc., The laboratory diagnosis of this infection is a challenging quest as most of the manifestations relates to other commonly detected diarrheal pathogens.[5] An original article in this issue highlights the usefulness of polymerase chain reaction over other modalities in diagnosing this condition as well as identifying the type of microsporidium involved. The ethics in series sheds light on the issues related to microethics in medical education and practice.

We wish to inform our readers and contributors that our editorial team is committed toward fighting against plagiarism. Plagiarism has plagued the scientific community for several decades and is considered an offensive crime in the field of publication. We request you all to join us in our crusade against plagiarism and make conscious efforts concerted towards controlling this widespread notorious phenomenon.

The present issue is an ensemble of articles that offer in-depth knowledge and information on various aspects of parasites and parasitic diseases. We thank you for your support and wish you all a virtual “bon appetite.”