RI Blood Center Lays Off 60 To Offset Cost Of New Babesiosis Test

Kristin Gourlay

The Rhode Island Blood Center will lay off 60 people by this fall. That's to help cover the cost of screening for a tick-borne disease that's on the rise in Rhode Island: babesiosis.

Babesiosis  causes flu-like symptoms in some, but it can be life-threatening for the elderly or people with weak immune systems. It spreads through tick bites and blood transfusions. It's become the top transfusion-transmitted disease in the country, and it's endemic in Rhode Island.

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http://ripr.org/post/ri-blood-center-lays-60-offset-cost-new-babesiosis-test