Activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway results in the release of pro-inflammatory molecules, such as interleukin-6, TNF-alpha, intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), or IL-8, as previously reported in babesiosis (Barić Rafaj et al., 2013; Zygner et al., 2014, 2015; Goddard et al., 2016; Galán et al., 2018). This evidence concerns the gene CXCL8 and babesiosis.