ehrlichiosis, a sometimes fatal tick-borne infection with symptoms similar to those of Lyme disease. The tick that carries the ehrlichiosis infection is the same species as the vector of Lyme disease, Borrelia burgdorferi, but the patient usually recovers within 8 weeks without the chronic arthritis symptoms associated with Lyme disease. Also called human granulocytic ehrlichiosis, human monocytic ehrlichiosis. See also Ehrlichia. ▪ OBSERVATIONS: The great majority of infections are asymptomatic. Most cases present as mild to moderate acute febrile illness. The disease usually begins about 10 days after the bite of an infected tick, although some cases have begun abruptly, within hours, with influenza-like symptoms, including painful muscle aches, headaches, fever, chills, loss of appetite, and depressed blood cell counts. ▪ INTERVENTIONS: Although similar to Lyme disease, the infection does not respond to the antibiotics used to treat Lyme disease. However, ehrlichiosis does respond to early treatment with tetracycline antibiotics. ▪ PATIENT CARE CONSIDERATIONS: Diagnosis is difficult because of the similarities with Lyme disease, and cases of simultaneous infections of both types of bacteria have been reported.
