Lyme Disease and Related Tick-Borne Infections - Ehrlichiosis

During the convalescent stage of ehrlichiosis, blood samples can be examined for antibodies to the organism, but even these are positive in only 80 - 87% of cases of HME. Researchers are currently working on laboratory tests to facilitate more precise diagnoses of ehrlichiosis.

Treating Ehrlichiosis

When treated early, ehrlichiosis responds very well to the antibiotics tetracycline, doxycycline, and rifampin. Some experts report that it is effectively treated for a minimum course of 5 to 7 days. If ehrlichiosis goes untreated, however, it can escalate into a life-threatening condition.

Unfortunately, it does not respond to most of the antibiotics commonly used for Lyme disease, including ampicillin, ceftriaxone, erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, and azithromycin. It is important, then, if ehrlichiosis is at all suspected, to give patients antibiotics, most often doxycycline, that are effective against both tick-derived diseases.

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