Are you someone who loves to walk in beautiful places, climb mountains, and visit waterfalls? Or do you love to run and play in a beautiful meadow? Such experiences are truly wonderful. But in such beautiful places, especially in environments with lots of grass and bushes, there is a tiny animal that we cannot see, and that is the tick. Did you know that this tiny animal can cause us serious diseases? Today we are talking about a disease that is transmitted by such ticks, but which many people in our country do not know about, but it is essential to know about. That is Ehrlichiosis (Er-li-ki-yo-sis) .
Simply put, what is Ehrlichiosis?
Ehrlichiosis is a bacterial infection. Just as the dengue virus is transmitted when a mosquito bites us, when a tick carrying the bacteria Ehrlichia attaches itself to us and sucks our blood, the bacteria enter our bloodstream. That is when we develop this disease. The main bacteria that cause it are `(Ehrlichia chaffeensis)`, `(E. ewingii)` and `(E. muris eauclairensis)`.
In the early stages of this disease, the symptoms may seem like a normal viral flu. So many people may not pay much attention to it. But if not treated properly and quickly, this is a serious condition that can even be life-threatening.
Some people ask, "Is this the same as Lyme disease?" Yes, both diseases are transmitted by ticks. However, the symptoms and types of bacteria that cause these two diseases are different. Ehrlichiosis can be more serious if not treated quickly.
How serious is this disease really?
This may sound scary, but it's important to know the truth. Not everyone who gets ehrlichiosis will develop a serious illness. However, if treatment is delayed, about 60% of patients will need to be hospitalized. Also, very rarely, about 1% of cases can be fatal.
What we need to understand from these statistics is that this is not a disease that can be easily dismissed as a normal flu. Early detection and prompt treatment are the most important things here.
Who is most at risk?
Anyone who lives in a forested area with tall grass can get the disease from a tick. However, some people are more likely to develop serious complications if they get the disease. These include:
- People over 50: As we age, our body's immune system weakens, reducing our ability to fight infections.
- People with weakened immune systems: People with HIV, cancer patients, those taking cancer medications, or those taking medications that suppress their immune system due to another illness are at higher risk.
- People with other long-term illnesses: People with illnesses like diabetes may also have a reduced ability to fight infections.
What are the symptoms of Ehrlichiosis?
Symptoms usually appear between 5 and 14 days after a tick bites you. Symptoms usually start with a fever. Other symptoms may appear a few days later. Young children are more likely to develop a rash than adults.
Here's what these symptoms are.
| Type of symptom | Symptoms that indicate |
|---|---|
| In the early days (like a fever) |
|
| After a few days |
How is this disease transmitted? Is it transmitted from person to person?
This is something that needs to be clearly understood. Ehrlichiosis is not spread from one person to another. That means it is not a contagious disease. You cannot get it from touching, talking to, or using someone who has it.
This is spread in the same way:
1. A tick sucks the blood of an animal (such as a deer or a dog) that has this disease.
2. Then the infected tick comes, attaches itself to a human and sucks blood.
3. Then the bacteria that came to the tick from the animal's blood enters the human's blood.
Very rarely, the disease can be transmitted through blood transfusions from an infected person to a healthy person or through an organ transplant. But this is very rare.
How does the doctor diagnose this disease?
When you go to see a doctor with the symptoms you mentioned above, he will first examine you and ask you a few questions. The answers you give here are very important.
- "Have you recently gone for a walk in a forest, tall grass, or mountainous area?"
- "Did you see a tick stuck to your body?"
Even if you don't remember being bitten by a tick, if you were in such an environment, be sure to tell your doctor. Because ticks are very small, sometimes we don't even know when they've attached themselves to the body, sucked blood, and then come off on their own.
If your doctor suspects that you have Ehrlichiosis based on the information you provide and your symptoms, he or she will order a blood test. This blood test will check for low white blood cells (the soldiers in your body that fight disease) and signs of a bacterial infection.
Sometimes the bacteria in the blood sample is cultured and sent for testing. But since the results of that test can take weeks to come back, doctors don't wait for them to come back. If there is a suspicion of the disease based on the symptoms and your history, treatment will begin before the results come back. Because the most important thing in this disease is to start treatment as soon as possible.
What are the treatments? How quickly will I recover?
Ehrlichiosis is treated with antibiotics . Your doctor will usually prescribe these medications for at least three more days after your fever has completely subsided and your symptoms have significantly improved. That's about 5 to 7 days.
The most important thing is, don't stop taking your medicine just because you feel a little better. You need to take the medicine for the full number of days your doctor prescribed. If you don't, the illness may come back.
If you start treatment as soon as your symptoms start, you should start to feel better within 24 to 48 hours. If you don't feel any better after a few days, tell your doctor right away.
How to protect yourself from ticks? - Prevention is the best!
The best and only way to protect yourself from this disease is to avoid being bitten by ticks. There are several things you can do to do this:
- Take care of your garden: Don't let the grass grow taller than 5 inches. Keep the garden clean by removing bushes and unwanted trees.
- Stay safe when outdoors: If you're walking in a forest or grassy area, stick to established paths as much as possible. It's safer than walking through grass and bushes.
- Dress appropriately: Wear long pants and long-sleeved clothing. It's even better if you can tuck your socks into your pants. Wearing light-colored clothing makes it easier to see a tick walking around.
- Use insect repellent: Apply bug sprays to your skin and clothing that contain chemicals like DEET that are proven to repel ticks.
- Check your body as soon as you get home: When you get home from being outdoors, change your clothes and check your entire body thoroughly. Ticks like to hide in warm, dark places. So check your armpits, groin, behind your ears, under your hair, and around your belly button . Ask someone else to check areas that are hard to see, such as your back.
- Take care of your pets too: Always check your dog or cat for ticks when they come home from playing outside. Ask your veterinarian for advice on the best way to protect them from ticks.
When do you need to go to the emergency room (ETU)?
If you have normal symptoms, it is enough to visit your family doctor. However, if you experience any of the following serious symptoms, go to the Emergency Department (ETU) of the nearest hospital immediately.
| Emergency - go to the ETU immediately! | |
|---|---|
| 🌡️ | A high fever of more than 103 Fahrenheit (39.4 Celsius). |
| 😮💨 | Severe difficulty breathing. |
| 🩸 | Coughing up blood. |
| 🧠 | Severe mental confusion or change in behavior. |
| 😖 | Very severe stomach pain. |
| 😵 | A seizure-like condition. |
If left untreated, serious things can happen.
This is not to scare you, but to make you understand why you should be concerned about this disease. If treatment is delayed, Ehrlichiosis can lead to serious complications.
- Renal failure
- Respiratory failure
- Heart failure
- Spread of infection throughout the body (Sepsis)
- Brain infection (Meningoencephalitis)
- Coma and death
But remember, all of this can be avoided if you see a doctor as soon as you experience symptoms and get proper treatment.
Take-Home Message
- Ehrlichiosis is a bacterial infection transmitted by ticks that can be serious if not treated quickly.
- If you are in areas with forests, bushes, or tall grass, wear appropriate clothing to protect yourself from ticks and use insect repellent.
- After returning home from being outdoors, carefully check yourself, your children, and your pets for ticks.
- If you suspect you have been bitten by a tick or develop symptoms such as fever, body aches, and headache after being in such an area, ignore it as a common cold and seek medical advice immediately.
- If diagnosed early and treated with antibiotics, this disease can be completely cured.
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