ehrlichiosis

noun

ehr·​lich·​i·​o·​sis er-ˌli-kē-ˈō-sis 

plural ehrlichioses er-ˌli-kē-ˈō-ˌsēz 

: infection with or a disease caused by tick-borne bacteria (genus Ehrlichia of the family Anaplasmataceae) that in humans is marked especially by fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, and fatigue

Note: Following taxonomic reclassification of the causative agent (Ehrlichia phagocytophila) of the granulocytic form of human ehrlichiosis as an anaplasma (Anaplasma phagocytophilum), the disease is now referred to as either human granulocytic ehrlichiosis, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, or simply, anaplasmosis.

Examples of ehrlichiosis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Within that group, 41% also had Lyme disease, almost 4% had ehrlichiosis, and a tiny portion, 0.3%, had anaplasmosis. —Sherri Gordon, Health, 18 Oct. 2024

The front-line treatment for Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis is a different antibiotic, doxycycline. —Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 16 Oct. 2024

The creatures’ bites can spread a range of rarer illnesses, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Powassan virus disease, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, and alpha-gal syndrome. —Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 31 May 2024

Ticks, for instance, can transmit infections that cause Lyme disease, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and tularemia. —Katia Hetter, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Ehrlichia, bacteria genus, from Paul Ehrlich

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ehrlichiosis

• human granulocytic ehrlichiosis

Medical Definition

ehrlichiosis

noun

ehr·​lich·​i·​o·​sis er-ˌlik-ē-ˈō-sis 

plural ehrlichioses -ˌsēz 

: infection with or a disease caused by tick-borne bacteria of the genus Ehrlichia that affects both humans and animals (such as dogs, horses, and sheep) and that in humans is marked especially by fever, headache, chills, muscle aches, and fatigue

Note: When ehrlichiosis occurs in humans, the disease is often referred to as human granulocytic ehrlichiosis or human monocytic ehrlichiosis depending on the type of white blood cell (granulocyte or monocyte) infected. Following reclassification of the causative agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis to the genus Anaplasma, human granulocytic ehrlichiosis is now also called human granulocytic anaplasmosis or simply, anaplasmosis.