- Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis
Infobox_Disease
Name = PAGENAME
Caption =
DiseasesDB = 31663
ICD10 = ICD10|A|79|8|a|75
ICD9 = ICD9|083.8
ICDO =
OMIM =
MedlinePlus = 001381
eMedicineSubj = med
eMedicineTopic = 3391
eMedicine_mult = eMedicine2|ped|655 eMedicine2|emerg|159 | MeshID = D016873Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) (also called Human granulocytic anaplasmosis, or HGA [cite journal |author=Malik A, Jameel M, Ali S, Mir S |title=Human granulocytic anaplasmosis affecting the myocardium |journal=J Gen Intern Med |volume=20 |issue=10 |pages=958 |year=2005 |pmid=16191146 |doi=10.1111/j.1525-1497.2005.00218.x] [ [http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/anaplasmosis/basics.html Human Anaplasmosis Basics - Minnesota Dept. of Health ] ] ) is an
infectious disease caused by several types ofbacteria that are typically transmitted to humans by "Ixodes scapularis ", also known as the deer tick or black-legged tick. This is the same tick that can transmitLyme disease andBabesiosis .ymptoms
Symptoms may include
fever , severeheadache , muscle aches, chills and shaking, similar to the symptoms ofinfluenza .The condition causes symptoms of fever, headache, and
myalgia , with GI symptoms occurring in less than half of the patients and a skin rash in less than 10% of patients. It is also characterized bythrombocytopenia ,leukopenia , and elevated serumtransaminase levels in the majority of infected patients. The causative bacterium is transmitted to humans via ticks. [Murray, Patrick R.; Rosenthal, Ken S.; Pfaller, Michael A. "Medical Microbiology, Fifth Edition". United States: Elsevier Mosby, 2005]HGE is clinically indistinguishable from infection caused by "
Ehrlichia chaffeensis ", but molecular techniques can distinguish these incidents from HGE .Treatment
Early treatment with
antibiotics is often successful.Doxycycline andrifampin have been used.cite journal |author=Krause PJ, Corrow CL, Bakken JS |title=Successful treatment of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis in children using rifampin |journal=Pediatrics |volume=112 |issue=3 Pt 1 |pages=e252–3 |year=2003 |month=September |pmid=12949322 |doi= |url=http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=12949322]Presentation during early pregnancy can complicate treatment.cite journal |author=Muffly T, McCormick TC, Cook C, Wall J |title=Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis complicating early pregnancy |journal=Infect Dis Obstet Gynecol |volume=2008 |issue= |pages=359172 |year=2008 |pmid=18509484 |pmc=2396214 |doi=10.1155/2008/359172 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2008/359172]
Terminology
HGE can be caused by several infectious agents, including "
Anaplasma phagocytophilum " cite journal |author=Olano J, Hogrefe W, Seaton B, Walker D |title=Clinical manifestations, epidemiology, and laboratory diagnosis of human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis in a commercial laboratory setting |journal=Clin Diagn Lab Immunol |volume=10 |issue=5 |pages=891–6 |year=2003 |pmid=12965923 |doi=10.1128/CDLI.10.5.891-896.2003] (formerly known as "Ehrlichia phagocytophila"), "Ehrlichia equi ", and "Ehrlichia ewingii " ] .When the agent is known to be from the
Anaplasma genus, the term "human granulocytic anaplasmosis" (HGA) is often used. However, the ehrlichioses have similar presentations, and the genus and species are not always known. The genus Anaplasma and the genusEhrlichia are both in the familyEhrlichiaceae , and HGE can be used to avoid the ambiguity.ee also
*
Ehrlichiosis (canine)
*Anaplasmosis
* [http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EiD/vol11no12/05-0898.htm CDC Emerging Infectious Diseases] for more information about HGEReferences
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.