Ehrlichiosis Clinical Presentation

  • Author: Burke A Cunha, MD; Chief Editor: Michael Stuart Bronze, MD   more...
 
Updated: Nov 3, 2011
 

History

Clinical manifestations of ehrlichiosis usually begin 5-14 days after the tick bite. Approximately 68% of patients with human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME) report a tick bite, and 83% of patients have a history of tick exposure in the 4-week period before onset of symptoms. Onset is abrupt or subacute.

The histories for HME, human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA), and E ewingii infection are similar and may include the following[1, 2] :

  • Tick bites or exposure (>90% in 1 series)
  • Fevers (>90%)
  • Headaches (>85%)
  • Malaise (>70%)
  • Myalgias (>70%)
  • Rigors (60%)
  • Nausea (40%)
  • Vomiting (40%)
  • Anorexia (40%)
  • Confusion (20%)

Rash is rare in patients with HME/HGA. Rash is rare but, if present, usually occurs on the trunk, legs, arms, or face and may be macular, maculopapular, and/or petechial. Rash on the palms or the soles is very rare.

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Physical Examination

Physical findings due to ehrlichiosis are minimal.

Splenomegaly is not uncommon, and some patients develop hepatomegaly. Lymphadenopathy is very uncommon. Patients with severe ehrlichiosis may develop thrombocytopenia or disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), which can result in purpura.

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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Burke A Cunha, MD  Professor of Medicine, State University of New York School of Medicine at Stony Brook; Chief, Infectious Disease Division, Winthrop-University Hospital

Burke A Cunha, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, and Infectious Diseases Society of America

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Samuel M Keim, MD  Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine

Samuel M Keim, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, American Public Health Association, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Walid Abuhammour, MD, FAAP  Professor of Pediatrics, Michigan State University College of Medicine; Director of Pediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Pediatrics, Hurley Medical Center

Walid Abuhammour, MD, FAAP is a member of the following medical societies: American Medical Association, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Joseph Domachowske, MD  Professor of Pediatrics, Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, State University of New York Upstate Medical University

Joseph Domachowske, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Society for Microbiology, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, and Phi Beta Kappa

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Geofrey Nochimson, MD  Consulting Staff, Department of Emergency Medicine, Sentara Careplex Hospital

Geofrey Nochimson, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Nicholas John Bennett, MB, BCh, PhD  Fellow in Pediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York Upstate Medical University

Nicholas John Bennett, MB, BCh, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha and American Academy of Pediatrics

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Thomas J Marrie, MD  Dean of Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine, Canada

Thomas J Marrie, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians, American Society for Microbiology, Canadian Infectious Disease Society, and Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Medscape Salary Employment

Jon Mark Hirshon, MD, MPH  Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine

Jon Mark Hirshon, MD, MPH is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Public Health Association, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Russell W Steele, MD  Head, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Ochsner Children's Health Center; Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine

Russell W Steele, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association of Immunologists, American Pediatric Society, American Society for Microbiology, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Louisiana State Medical Society, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, Society for Pediatric Research, and Southern Medical Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Michael Stuart Bronze, MD  Professor, Stewart G Wolf Chair in Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center

Michael Stuart Bronze, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians, American Medical Association, Association of Professors of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Oklahoma State Medical Association, and Southern Society for Clinical Investigation

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

References

  1. CDC. Ehrlichiosis. Accessed May 16 2011. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/ehrlichiosis.

  2. Chapman AS, Bakken JS, Folk SM, et al. Diagnosis and management of tickborne rickettsial diseases: Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichioses, and anaplasmosis--United States: a practical guide for physicians and other health-care and public health professionals. MMWR Recomm Rep. Mar 31 2006;55:1-27. [Medline].

  3. Buller RS, Arens M, Hmiel SP, et al. Ehrlichia ewingii, a newly recognized agent of human ehrlichiosis. N Engl J Med. Jul 15 1999;341(3):148-55. [Medline].

  4. Aguero-Rosenfeld ME, Horowitz HW, Wormser GP, et al. Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis: a case series from a medical center in New York State. Ann Intern Med. Dec 1 1996;125(11):904-8. [Medline].

  5. Bakken JS, Dumler JS, Chen SM, et al. Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis in the upper Midwest United States. A new species emerging?. JAMA. Jul 20 1994;272(3):212-8. [Medline].

  6. Heilpern KL. Update: human ehrlichiosis--Maryland and Wisconsin, 1994. Ann Emerg Med. Jul 1998;32(1):108-10. [Medline].

  7. Lovrich SD, Jobe DA, Kowalski TJ, Policepatil SM, Callister SM. Expansion of the midwestern focus for human granulocytic anaplasmosis into the region surrounding la crosse, wisconsin. J Clin Microbiol. Nov 2011;49(11):3855-9. [Medline].

  8. Pritt BS, Sloan LM, Johnson DK, Munderloh UG, Paskewitz SM, McElroy KM, et al. Emergence of a new pathogenic Ehrlichia species, Wisconsin and Minnesota, 2009. N Engl J Med. Aug 4 2011;365(5):422-9. [Medline].

  9. Strle F. Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis in Europe. Int J Med Microbiol. Apr 2004;293 Suppl 37:27-35. [Medline].

  10. Hamburg BJ, Storch GA, Micek ST, Kollef MH. The importance of early treatment with doxycycline in human ehrlichiosis. Medicine (Baltimore). Mar 2008;87(2):53-60. [Medline].

  11. Everett ED, Evans KA, Henry RB, McDonald G. Human ehrlichiosis in adults after tick exposure. Diagnosis using polymerase chain reaction. Ann Intern Med. May 1 1994;120(9):730-5. [Medline].

 
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Female Lone Star tick, Amblyomma americanum, found in the southeastern and Midatlantic United States. It is a vector of several zoonotic diseases, including human monocytic ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Courtesy of the CDC/Michael L. Levin, PhD.
Map of the United States showing the distribution of the Lone Star Tick, which is the principle vector for ehrlichiosis.
Established and reported distribution of anaplasmosis vectors Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus, by county, in the United States from 1907-1996. Courtesy of the Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Anaplasmosis incidence by age. Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ehrlichiosis incidence by age. Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Table. Characteristics of HME Versus HGA
Human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME)Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA)
Cell type AffectedMonocytesGranulocytes
OrganismE chaffeensisA phagocytophilum
VectorAmblyomma americanum (Lone Star tick)Ixodes scapularis (black-legged tick), Ixodes pacificus (Western black-legged tick) in California, Ixodes ricinus in Europe, and probably Ixodes persulcatus in parts of Asia
LocationSoutheastern and south-central United StatesWisconsin and Minnesota, less active in New York and Connecticut, also California
Rash30% of adults, 60% of childrenRare
Prognosis~3% mortality< 1% mortality
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