What are Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis
Ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis are diseases that people get from ticks. Ehrlichiosis is also called human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME). Anaplasmosis is also called human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA). Symptoms often show up 1–2 weeks after a tick bite. Symptoms include:
- Fever.
- Chills.
- Headache.
- Muscle aches.
- Tiredness.
- Feeling sick to your stomach (having nausea).
- Throwing up (vomiting).
- Watery poop (diarrhea).
- Cough.
- Confusion.
- Red eyes.
- Rash. This is rare.
You also may not have any symptoms.
How is this diagnosed?
Diagnosis is based on a physical exam, medical history, and blood tests. Your doctor may suspect these diseases if:
- You have recently been bitten by a tick.
- You have been in areas that have a lot of ticks or in areas where the disease is common.
- You have family members, pets, or coworkers who have recently been diagnosed with the disease.
Let your doctor know if you have been diagnosed before with HME, HGE, or another disease that you can get from ticks.
How is this treated?
If your doctor thinks that you may have HME or HGA, treatment will start immediately. This may happen before your doctor has confirmed your diagnosis. Depending on your symptoms, treatment may include:
- Antibiotic medicine for 1–2 weeks.
- Hospitalization in the worst cases.
Let your doctor know if you are pregnant or breastfeeding before starting treatment.
Follow these instructions at home:
- Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your doctor.
- Take your antibiotic medicine as told by your doctor. Do notstop taking the antibiotic even if you start to feel better.
- Drink enough fluid to keep your pee (urine) clear or pale yellow.
- Rest at home while you get better. Return to your normal activities as told by your doctor.
- Keep all follow-up visits as told by your doctor. This is important.
How is this prevented?
Avoiding tick bites can help to prevent these diseases. Be aware that most ticks live in shrubs, low tree branches, and grassy areas. A tick can climb onto your body when you make contact with leaves or grass where the tick is waiting. Do these things to avoid tick bites when you are outdoors:
- Wear protective clothing. Long sleeves and long pants are best.
- Wear white clothes so you can see ticks more easily.
- Tuck your pant legs into your socks.
- Put insect repellent on all exposed skin and on your clothes.
- Use tick prevention products on your pets, such as shampoos or tick collars.
- If you go walking on a trail, stay in the middle of the trail to avoid brushing against bushes.
- Avoid walking through areas that have long grass.
- Check clothing, hair, and skin repeatedly and before going inside.
- Check family members and pets for ticks.
- Brush off any ticks that are not attached.
- Take a shower or a bath as soon as possible after you have been outdoors. Check your skin for ticks. The most common places on the body where ticks attach themselves are the scalp, neck, armpits, waist, and groin.
- Remove attached ticks from your skin, your family members, and pets immediately. Use fine-point tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible. Pull back and up with constant pressure. Check the skin to make sure the tick’s mouth parts were not left attached. Wash the skin with soap and water after the tick has been removed.
- Do notuse gasoline, petroleum jelly, nail polish remover, or lit matches to remove ticks.
- Do notcrush removed ticks with your fingers.
Contact a doctor if:
- You have a fever.
- You have a headache.
- You are tired.
- You have muscle pain.
- You feel sick to your stomach.
- You throw up.
- You have watery poop.
- You still have a headache and weakness after your other symptoms have gone away.
Get help right away if:
- You have bleeding that does not stop (is persistent).
- You have a seizure.
- You have trouble breathing.
