Ehrlichiosis: Difference between revisions
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==Background== | ==Background== | ||
*Bacterial infection of the family Anaplasmataceae | *Bacterial infection of the family Anaplasmataceae | ||
*Spread by the | *Spread by the Lonestar tick (Amblyomma americanum) | ||
**Eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine and as far west as Iowa and Texas | **Eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine and as far west as Iowa and Texas | ||
**People often unaware they are bitten | **People often unaware they are bitten | ||
*Case fatality rate is approximately 1.8% | *Case fatality rate is approximately 1.8% | ||
**More severe disease in | **More severe disease in immunocompromised patients (HIV, Elderly, '''Asplenic''') | ||
==Symptoms== | ==Symptoms== | ||
Revision as of 22:34, 4 December 2014
Background
- Bacterial infection of the family Anaplasmataceae
- Spread by the Lonestar tick (Amblyomma americanum)
- Eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine and as far west as Iowa and Texas
- People often unaware they are bitten
- Case fatality rate is approximately 1.8%
- More severe disease in immunocompromised patients (HIV, Elderly, Asplenic)
Symptoms
- Fever, chills, headache, malaise, myalgias, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, conjunctival injection
- Up to 60% of children may have a rash (30% of adults)
Diagnosis
- Obligate intracellular organism
- Peripheral blood smear shows intracellular parasites only 20% of time
- PCR
- Most sensitive in first week of illness
- Indirect Immunoflorescence Assay
- Gold Standard
- Negative 85% of time in first 7 days of illness
- Compare 2 samples drawn at different times
- 4 fold increase in titers of second draw is positive
- Enzyme Immunoassay
- Qualitative tests, not quantitative
Treatment
- Doxycycline
- 100mg BID (Adults)
- 2.2mg/kg BID (children)
See also
Sources
- Wikipedia
- cdc.gov/parastites/ehrlichiosis
- uptodate.com