Ehrlichiosis is the multiorgan
infectious disease caused by small, intracellular rickettsias from the genus Ehrlichia. These microorganisms are known as an etiologic factor of
infections world wide in humans and in different species of animals. Dog
ehrlichiosis can be caused by several species of Ehrlichia attacking different groups of blood cells, but most often an
infection by Ehrlichia canis is diagnosed with special relation to monocytes. A vector for E. canis are Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Ixodes ricinus, commonly occurring in Poland. Disease caused by E. canis is known as Canine Monocytic
Ehrlichiosis (CME). The disease most often has an asymptomatic course which can, in favourable circumstances, run into acute or chronic forms. The acute form of CME proceeds usually with
fever, apathy, weakness and accompanying respiratory symptoms, lameness and disturbances in blood coagulation. In laboratory examinations
thrombocytopenia,
anemia and leucopenia are ascertained. The chronic form of CME proceeds among gentle, unspecific symptoms which may last even 5 years. The CME diagnosis is difficult and often demands parallel different diagnostic methods. A medicines of choice in the
ehrlichiosis treatment are
antibiotics from the group of
tetracyclines, given at least for 28 days. They are largely efficient during treatment of the acute CME, causing the quick improvement. Instead, in the case of chronic form, answer for treatment can be weak, and cases of resistance to
antibiotics ave known.