What is the Difference Between Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis are two closely related tick-borne bacterial diseases that share similar symptoms and are transmitted to humans by ticks. The main differences between the two are the specific bacteria causing the infections and the ticks responsible for transmission.
Anaplasmosis, formerly called human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE), is caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum and is transmitted to humans by blacklegged deer ticks. Ehrlichiosis, also known as human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME), is caused by the bacterium Ehrlichia chaffeensis and is transmitted to humans by lone star ticks.
Symptoms of both diseases include:
- Fever
- Muscle aches
- Headache
- Weakness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Joint pain
- Confusion (more common in anaplasmosis)
A rash is more common in ehrlichiosis than in anaplasmosis. Symptoms usually appear one to two weeks after the bite of an infected tick. Both diseases can be severe and even life-threatening or fatal if not treated early. Doxycycline is the recommended treatment for both ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis.
Preventing tick bites is the best way to avoid these infections. This includes using tick repellents, thoroughly checking your body for ticks after being outdoors, and properly removing any ticks found.
Comparative Table: Anaplasmosis vs Ehrlichiosis
Ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis are both acute febrile tick-borne diseases caused by various members of the genera Ehrlichia and Anaplasma. Here is a table summarizing the differences between the two:
Characteristic | Ehrlichiosis | Anaplasmosis |
---|---|---|
Causative Agent | Ehrlichia chaffeensis | Anaplasma phagocytophilum |
Cytoplasmic Inclusions | Monocytes | Neutrophils |
Symptoms | Fever, chills, severe headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and rash (more common in ehrlichiosis) | Fever, chills, severe headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and rash (less common in anaplasmosis) |
Diagnosis | Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of a blood sample or indirect immunofluorescent antibody testing | Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of a blood sample |
Treatment | Doxycycline (preferred) or chloramphenicol for patients unable to take tetracyclines | Doxycycline (preferred) or chloramphenicol for patients unable to take tetracyclines |
Prevention | Avoiding tick bites, wearing protective clothing, using tick repellent, and checking for ticks after spending time outdoors | Avoiding tick bites, wearing protective clothing, using tick repellent, and checking for ticks after spending time outdoors |
Both diseases have similar clinical features and are diagnosed using serological testing and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing on blood samples. Treatment for both ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis is typically doxycycline, with chloramphenicol as an alternative for patients unable to take tetracyclines. Prevention of these tick-borne diseases involves avoiding tick bites, wearing protective clothing, using tick repellent, and checking for ticks after spending time outdoors.
- Lyme Disease vs Anaplasmosis
- Chlamydia vs Rickettsia
- Lyme Disease vs Lupus
- Typhus vs Typhoid
- Histoplasmosis vs Toxoplasmosis
- Eimeria vs Isospora
- Leishmania vs Trypanosoma
- Malaria vs Typhoid
- Malaria vs Filariasis
- Flea vs Tick
- Malaria vs Dengue
- E Coli vs Salmonella
- MS vs Lyme Disease
- Dengue vs Typhoid
- Treponema Borrelia vs Leptospira
- Zoonotic vs Vector Borne Diseases
- Dengue vs Chikungunya
- Malaria vs West Nile Virus
- Giardia Lamblia vs Entamoeba Histolytica