Author Archive

One Unit of Blood Led to Babesia Infection

https://danielcameronmd.com/blood-transfusion-babesia/

One Unit of Blood Led to a Babesia Infection

April 22, 2025

Posted By: Dr. Daniel Cameron

When we think of tick-borne illnesses like Babesia, we often picture outdoor exposure in wooded, high-risk areas. But what happens when Babesia shows up in someone who hasn’t been outdoors—and hasn’t been bitten by a tick? One recent case reminds us that Babesia can travel silently through the bloodstream, sometimes delivered unintentionally through a blood transfusion.

A 30-year-old man with sickle cell disease (SCD) required regular red blood cell exchanges—about 10 units every 3 to 4 weeks since childhood. Two months after a routine blood transfusion, he developed symptoms that initially seemed vague: fever, neck pain, and photophobia.

But within days, his condition worsened. He experienced:

  1. Persistent fever and chills
  2. Headache
  3. Fatigue
  4. Loss of appetite

It was clear something serious was unfolding.

A Surprising Diagnosis – Babesia via a blood transfusion

Lab work confirmed the presence of Babesia parasites in his red blood cells, and serologic testing came back positive. He was also borderline positive for Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Ehrlichia chaffeensis, though not treated for those due to a lack of supportive symptoms.

Babesia is a malaria-like parasite typically spread by ticks, but this patient hadn’t been outdoors or hiking recently. So, where had it come from?

Tracing the Source: A Lookback Investigation

A donor lookback investigation revealed the answer. Over six months, the patient had received blood transfusions including 65 units of blood—58 of which were screened for Babesia. One of the 7 unscreened units came from a donor who tested positive for Babesia microti.

This donor lived in Ohio, a state not considered endemic for Babesia and thus not required to screen blood donors for the parasite. The donor reported no symptoms and had been active outdoors, hiking and camping in Ohio, Tennessee, and North Carolina—states with potential but under-recognized risk for tick exposure.

Why This Matters: A Vulnerable Blood Supply

This case, published by Costa and colleagues,¹ highlights a critical issue: transfusion-transmitted babesiosis (TTB) remains a real and preventable risk—especially in patients with chronic blood transfusion needs, like those with sickle cell disease.

“Prior to laboratory-based blood donor screening for Babesia, TTB was a leading infectious risk to the blood supply in the United States,” the authors note.

In 2019, the FDA implemented Babesia screening requirements for blood donors in 14 high-incidence states, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Minnesota. But states like Ohio—where this case originated—are not yet on that list.

A Simple Treatment, a Critical Delay

Fortunately, this patient was promptly treated with a 10-day course of azithromycin and atovaquone, and his symptoms resolved. But in many cases, particularly in non-endemic states, the delay in diagnosis can lead to more severe disease, especially in vulnerable populations.

Lessons for Clinicians and Policymakers

This case reminds us of a few important lessons:

🩸 1. Babesia Isn’t Just Tick-Borne

Yes, it’s a tick-borne disease—but it’s also transmissible via blood transfusions. That means even patients without outdoor exposure can be at risk.

🌎 2. “Non-Endemic” Doesn’t Mean No Risk

Donors may travel, camp, or hike in high-risk areas—even if their home state isn’t considered endemic. Geographic assumptions can lead to blind spots in our screening systems.

⏳ 3. Delays in Diagnosis Can Be Deadly

In places where clinicians aren’t used to seeing Babesia, diagnosis can be delayed. For immunocompromised or chronically transfused patients, that delay can be critical.

📋 4. Screening Policies May Need Expansion

We must reconsider whether the current state-specific Babesia screening recommendations are sufficient. This case suggests a broader approach may be warranted.

Final Thoughts

For patients like this young man with sickle cell disease, a single unscreened unit of blood changed everything. His case is a powerful reminder that Babesia is no longer just a disease of the woods—it’s also a disease of the blood bank.

As we continue to evolve our understanding of blood transfusion safety, infectious disease spread, and vector-borne illnesses, we must remain open to adjusting our protocols and awareness—even in states not currently labeled “high risk.”

Because in medicine, what we don’t test for can still hurt our patients.

Related Articles:

Podcast: Two mothers transmit Babesia to their babies

Geriatric cases of Babesia are rising and may require longer treatment

Reference:

Costa B, et al. Transfusion-transmitted babesiosis in a patient with sickle cell disease undergoing chronic red cell exchange. International Medical Case Reports Journal, 2020.

Category:

Babesia, Uncategorized

Live Lyme Awareness Events

Dr. Rawls Live Lyme Awareness Event

Lyme Awareness Month is well underway, and the stories and conversations happening in the #WeSeeYou space are already inspiring real connection and momentum.
We’re especially excited for our featured event this Friday at 1 PM ET, where we’ll be joined by Nicole Bell, author of What Lurks in the Woods.
Nicole will share her powerful journey through illness, caregiving, and advocacy—shining a light on what it means to search for answers in the face of the unknown.
Now the CEO of Galaxy Diagnostics, Nicole brings a unique blend of personal and professional insight into the challenges of chronic illness and the urgent need for better diagnostics and deeper understanding.

New Podcast Conversations with Dr. Rawls

This month, Dr. Rawls has been sharing his insights on chronic illness and recovery through a series of podcast interviews.

Catch him on:

  • Culture Apothecary – A heartfelt discussion on healing, trauma, and resilience in chronic illness. Listen or watch here »
  • Ancient Health Podcast with Dr. Chris Motley – A dynamic conversation covering chronic infections, herbal therapies, and how cellular health is key to recovery. Listen here »

Save the Date and RSVP:

Join us next week for a live conversation with Olivia Abrams, co-founder and CEO of TiCK MiTT to hear her powerful story of being impacted by Lyme disease as a child and how it led her to create a tool with her father that’s changing prevention for others! Hosted by Ali Moresco.

Event Date: Wednesday, May 14th, 2 pm ET

RSVP here »

We hope to see you at an upcoming event soon!
– The RawlsMD Team
P.S. Get a pair of our limited edition Lyme Awareness Sunglasses at Vital Plan! Buy a pair for your self or a loved one or get a pair for free with any order over $50 at Vital Plan.

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Uncategorized

‘High Certainty’Cellphone Radiation Linked to Cancer in Animals, WHO Study Finds

https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/high-certainty-cellphone-radiation-cancer-animals-who-study/

‘High Certainty’ Cellphone Radiation Linked to Cancer in Animals, WHO Study Finds

Experts say it’s time for the World Health Organization to classify wireless radiation as a “known human carcinogen,” after a review commissioned by the organization concluded there is “high certainty” evidence that cellphone radiation exposure causes two types of cancer in animals.

by Suzanne Burdick, Ph.D.
April 28, 2025
cellphone and who logo

A systematic review commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded there is “high certainty” evidence that cellphone radiation exposure causes two types of cancer in animals.

The WHO-backed review, published online April 25 in Environmental International, determined  radiofrequency-electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) emitted by cellphones and other wireless devices were linked to an increased risk of malignant gliomas in the brain and malignant schwannomas, or nerve tumors, in the heart in studies on animals. The review noted that both tumor types had previously been found in studies on humans.

The WHO’s review also concluded there is “moderate certainty” evidence that cellphone radiation  exposure causes an increased risk of rare liver and adrenal gland tumors.

Ron Melnick, Ph.D, chair of the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields (ICBE-EMF) and a former senior toxicologist in the National Toxicology Program (NTP), said in a statement:

“The evidence is now clear — cell phone radiation can cause cancer in animals in concordance with the tumor types identified in human studies of mobile phone users. As animal studies are essential for predicting cancer risk in humans, governments should develop science-based safety standards to protect human health.”

The WHO review prompted leading scientists with the ICBE-EMF on April 27 to call for “immediate policy action” to protect people from possible harm from wireless radiation exposure.

“Given this high level of certainty,” ICBE-EMF said in a press release, “government policymakers worldwide should immediately move to revise their RF radiation exposure limits to protect public health and the environment.”

ICBE-EMF is a “consortium of scientists, doctors and related professionals” who study RF-EMF and make recommendations for RF-EMF exposure guidelines “based on the best peer-reviewed scientific research publications.”

The group warned that delaying such revisions “could have serious consequences amid the global surge in the use of wireless communication devices.”  (See link for article)

______________

**Comment**

The U.S. government has known for over 50 years that wireless radiation is linked to 23 chronic diseases, and the NIH redacted nearly 2,500 pages of records on wireless radiation studies after the Children’s Health Defense FOIA request.

They know.

Now we know keeping cell phones close to the body causes blood vessels to clump together (rouleaux formation), which causes slower blood flow which can lead to blockages in small blood vessels which can lead to stroke or heart problems.  People with diabetes or COVID-related blood vessel damage might be at higher risk.  

Bioinformatics scientists now confirm the clot shots caused the surge in sudden deaths caused by heart attacks and cardiac arrests.

Up until now, rouleaux formation has been associated with infectious and inflammatory processes, connective tissue diseases, and some forms of cancer. It is quite common for Lyme/MSIDS patients to have this hypercoagulation requiring blood thinners at some point in their treatment.

Radiofrequency radiation exposure from cellphones, and likely other technologies utilizing wireless communication, can now be added to that list of things that can cause this abnormality of the blood.

For more:

Category:

Activism, research

Could Something Finally Be Done About the Toxins Being Sprayed in the Sky?

**UPDATE**

The Florida House of Representatives last week passed the bill to ban and criminalize  geoengineering and weather modification, Newsweek reported.  The bill makes it a third-degree felony to release any chemical, substance or apparatus into Florida’s atmosphere to affect the weather or climate.  It imposes a penalty of up to $100,000 for any person or corporation and up to $5,000 and five years in prison for an aircraft controller or pilot involved in such releases.

https://thepeoplesvoice.tv/rfk-jr-exposes-chemtrail-agenda-on-live-tv-darpa-is-lacing-jet-fuel-with-toxins/

RFK Jr Exposes Chemtrail Agenda on Live TV: ‘DARPA Is Lacing Jet Fuel With Toxins’

April 30, 2025
Baxter Dmitry

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr named the government agency responsible for covertly spraying US skies with chemtrails, during a recent appearance on Dr. Phil Primetime.

An audience member named Emily asked RFK about “the stratospheric aerosol injections that are continuously peppered on us every day. Bromium, aluminum, strontium, it’s sprayed in our skies all day long… I know you’ve talked to Dane Wigington about this. He seems to be one of the experts in the field. How do we stop it?”

Most politicians would’ve dodged the question or changed the subject. But not RFK Jr. — he met her gaze, stayed calm, and gave a straight answer.

“That is not happening in my agency,” Kennedy said. “We don’t do that.”

Then came the bombshell.

“It’s done – we think – by DARPA and a lot of it now is coming out of the jet fuel. Those materials are put in jet fuel. I’m going to do everything in my power to stop it.

“We’re bringing on somebody who’s gonna think only about that, find out who’s doing that and hold them accountable.” ~ Robert F. Kennedy

DARPA is the Pentagon’s secretive tech research arm, best known for developing experimental weapons and surveillance tools, including the mRNA technology behind the Covid jab.

(See link for article and numerous video clips)

_______________

**Comment**

Please take the time to go to the top link for the various video excerpts.  It’s all right there in purple crayon: our government is purposely spraying the sky with toxic chemicals.

In one video you will hear a pilot whistleblower explain how he believes a majority of the planes are remotely operated but that 80% or more of the pilots spraying are single. These “Indigo” pilots are chosen from the top ranks within the air force, navy, and coastguard.

According to the last video in the top link by Baxter Dmitry, a task force is being created to address chemtrails.

Warnings from experts against geoengineering goes back decades and continue.

Go here for Geoengineering 101: History, Science and Global Operations Shaping Our Skies

In a startling joint investigation, Dr. Jane Ruby and Mike Adams have uncovered web-like formations, with interconnected fibrous networks, some with flagella-like appendages, translucent “diploid” structures with internal webbing resembling parasitic or fungal forms, and unidentified egg-like particles with complex, possibly reproductive features in Florida air samples —prompting concerns over their link to unexplained respiratory and immune disorders after unusual orange-yellow fogs descended over South Florida. The duo drew parallels to prior investigations, such as Dr. Jane Ruby’s work on vaccine contaminants and Adams’ research into graphene oxide in medical injections. Some structures bore eerie similarities to self-assembling nanoparticles observed in other studies. ~ Source

Now, after incubating chemtrail fallout for three weeks in warm saline solution, tiny organisms started swimming – self propelling, and moving independently across the petri dish.  Source

Due to the recent Florida Senate Bill SB 56, which bans weather modification activities in Florida, the state just announced a Chemtrails hotline.  Offenders will get a five-year prison term. The bill passed the full Senate and is now awaiting Governor Ron DeSantis’s signature.

If passed, the law will directly target controversial practices such as solar radiation management, cloud seeding, and other forms of geoengineering that are being deployed without public consent or oversight.

The article reminds us that we are being subject to an ongoing, unregulated, environmental experiment without any oversight or protection.

Examples of geoengineering:

  • In 2017, The Harvard Solar Geoengineering Research Program (SCoPEx), funded by Bill Gates, openly discussed spraying aerosols into the atmosphere to block sunlight as a means to combat ‘climate change.’  It was supposedly halted in March of 2024 after failure to infuse small parts of the sky with sunlight blocking aerosols and after people screamed bloody murder.
  • The UK geoengineering project called ‘SATAN’ which is releasing sulfur into the sky.
  • Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI), funded by entities such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
  • A trillion-dollar grant to the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) has openly supported sun-dimming experiments, but critics fear undisclosed biological components.
This unregulated experimentation is not new.

Dennis Kucinich, a former U.S. Congressman, courageously introduced the Space Preservation Act (H.R. 2977) in 2001. His legislative proposal sought to prohibit the deployment of exotic weapons in space, including directed energy weapons, psychotronic devices, and, most controversially, “chemtrails.”

Geoengineering, chemtrails, or contrails are all the same thing: jets spraying substances, many of which are toxic, that linger for hours to days in the sky which alter the weather and affect the temperature on Earth under the banner of ‘climate change.’

By trapping heat in the atmosphere, these persistent contrails have a “significant net warming impact on the global climate.”
This heating of the planet is on par with the cumulative CO2 emissions from all aviation since the dawn of the jets.

But the nefarious experiment is also being used to relocate people from one area to another in something called the ‘weather wars.’ Whenever there’s a hurricane, uncharacteristic weather, or a firem the ‘climate’ alarmists begin to beat their drums on cue.

Global governments admit to ‘cloud seeding,’ but not the fallout it causes.  The fallout is always blamed on ‘climate change,’

In a never-ending quest to destroy humanity, Bill Gates, who doesn’t vaccinate his own children but is hell-bent on vaccinating everyone else’s, also has a mission to ‘dim the sun,’ to supposedly counter the ‘climate emergency.’   Other schemes include stopping cows from farting and burping, limiting cars, and culling the ‘useless eaters.’  A few brave experts are telling the truth:

‘Climate change is a lie and a scam’ and green energy policies have made the climate worse – not to mention our health.

Think our government wouldn’t dare to do such dastardly things?

Read on:

Category:

Activism

May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month: 5 Things You Can Do to Raise Awareness

https://projectlyme.org/may-is-lyme-disease-awareness-month-here-are-5-things-you-can-do-to-raise-awareness/

5 Things You Can Do to Raise Awareness of Lyme Disease

May 1, 2025

By Project Lyme

For many people, May means warming temperatures and the anticipation of the coming summer (and a break from school). However, May also marks a significant time for those of us whose lives have been affected by Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections: Lyme Disease Awareness Month.

Lyme patients often face challenges in obtaining a proper diagnosis due to a lack of awareness, outdated viewpoints, and a lack of sensitive tests. Delays in diagnosis often lead to disseminated, difficult-to-treat, or chronic infection. Chronic or late-stage Lyme disease patients report delays of 6 months to 5 years or more, with some studies citing an average of 1 to 2 years. Factors include misdiagnosis (e.g., as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, or psychiatric conditions), nonspecific symptoms, and limitations in testing accuracy (e.g., false negatives in serologic tests). A 2018 survey by LymeDisease.org found that 60% of patients took over 2 years to receive a correct diagnosis.

Lyme Disease Awareness Month is a great opportunity for advocates, patients, and friends and family to raise awareness about how just one tick bite can change your life forever. Your advocacy can save a life or vastly improve a friend or loved one’s quality of life. Interested in getting involved? Take a look at our list of five easy ways to raise awareness for some ideas.

1. Educate Others.

Out of the ashes of adversity, we rise not just for ourselves, but to guide others towards the light. Help us to educate others by connecting with us on social media (Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and TikTok) and sharing posts. We will be publishing informative posts and videos throughout the month covering everything from what to do if you get a tick bite to best practices in tick-borne disease testing and treatment, as well as patient stories. Sharing posts with your network is a simple way to spread awareness that can have a big impact.

Do you have a medical care provider who is interested in learning more about Lyme disease and related infections? The 26th Annual ILADS Scientific Conference will be held October 9-12, 2025, in San Antonio, TX. Project Lyme is proud to support ILADS by providing grants to first-time attendees.

2. Set Up a Lyme Fundraiser.

Whether it’s for Lyme Disease Awareness Month, in honor of your birthday, or another special event, if you have a Facebook profile, fundraising for a cause just takes a few simple steps. Click on the “Fundraisers” button located in the left-hand menu of your main Facebook page to get started. Then click the “select nonprofit” button and follow the prompts to create your fundraiser. And remember, when you raise money for Project Lyme, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, you are making our mission to spread awareness, fund research, advocate, and support our community possible.

You can also support our important work by making a donation directly on our website.

3. Urge Congress to Protect and Grow Federal Funding for Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Programs.

A recently leaked FY2026 budget from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) shows that the federal government may cut programs that help the United States prevent, detect, and respond to Lyme and tick-borne diseases. Although budget passbacks are a routine part of the Executive Branch’s annual budgeting process and usually remain confidential, these proposed cuts put millions of Americans at risk—including vulnerable children, families, seniors, and people with disabilities. Lyme and tick-borne diseases still lack reliable diagnostics, affordable therapies, and a cure. Now is the time to speak up.

Our advocacy partner, the Center for Lyme Action, has developed a quick, easy, customizable form to urge Congress to adopt their recommended funding levels for Lyme and tick-borne disease research in the FY2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. Share this campaign with your network to help maximize impact

4. Shop and Support.

Looking for a comfortable t-shirt, tank, hoodie, or a new coffee mug? Check out Project Lyme’s online shop and get your Lyme disease awareness gear today.

5. Share Your Story.

Opening up about your experiences not only raises awareness about Lyme and other tick-borne diseases; it also serves as critical testimony that Lyme can persist and cause devastating symptoms. Want your story featured across our social media? Reach out to us through our website today!

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For more:

Category:

Activism, Lyme