Ehrlichiosis

Ehrlichiosis (say "err-lick-ee-o-sis") is a bacterial infection you can get from ticks. The ticks that spread ehrlichiosis are the deer tick, the dog tick and the Lone Star tick.

It has been known for many years that dogs, cattle and other animals can get ehrlichiosis. Now it's known that ehrlichiosis can occur in humans as well. This infection was first found in humans in the mid-1980s.

Ehrlichiosis can occur in almost any area of the United States (especially in the southeastern and south central areas of the country), as well as in many foreign countries.

The symptoms of ehrlichiosis are like the symptoms of the flu. Symptoms usually begin 1 to 2 weeks after you've been bitten by an infected tick, but they may take up to 1 month to appear. You might have the following symptoms:

These symptoms can help your doctor tell whether you have ehrlichiosis or the flu.

Most cases of ehrlichiosis are very mild. However, ehrlichiosis can become serious if the infection isn't caught in the early stages (symptoms of a more serious case of ehrlichiosis include seizures, difficulty breathing and coma). Because ehrlichiosis feels like the flu at first, it's very important to see your doctor if you feel like you have the flu a few days to a few weeks after you've been bitten a tick. Be sure to tell your doctor that you were bitten by a tick and when it happened. If you know what kind of tick bit you, be sure to give your doctor that information, also.

Ehrlichiosis is treated with an antibiotic.

The best way to prevent ehrlichiosis is to avoid tick bites. Follow these simple tips when you are hiking, camping, walking in the woods or working in your yard:

The best way to remove a tick is to grab it gently as close to your skin as possible with flat-tipped tweezers. Don't crush the tick. Pull it up and out slowly. Don't twist or jerk the tick when pulling it. After you remove the tick, apply an antiseptic to the bite area and wash your hands with soap and water.

Hot match heads, cigarettes, alcohol, gasoline, petroleum jelly and other substances do not work for removing ticks. If you remove a tick, put it in a covered jar or an envelope to save it. If you get sick later on, you can take the tick to the doctor to be identified.

In the next few days and weeks, keep an eye on the area where the tick bite occured. Call your doctor if the area becomes very red or a rash develops.