Ehrlichiosis Rickketsial Diseases
Prevention
Ehrlichiosis can be prevented by controlling the tick vectors. Pets should be inspected frequently for ticks, which should be removed promptly with fine-tipped tweezers or gloved hands.
Bare hands should not be used to remove ticks, due to the risk of exposure to the tick’s fluids or feces; various infectious agents can enter the body through cuts in the skin or mucous membranes. If gloves are not available, the fingers should be shielded with a tissue or paper towel.
The tick should not be squeezed, crushed or punctured. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that tick removal techniques such as the use of hot matches or petroleum jelly can stimulate the tick to release additional saliva and may increase the risk of infection.
The tick can be frozen in a plastic bag, for identification in case of illness. Acaricides can be used on companion animals and livestock, and may be used to treat barns and kennels. Biological controls and the control of tick habitats can also decrease tick populations.
Tick-borne fever in ruminants can be prevented by grazing animals on relatively tick-free pastures. Ewes and lambs should be kept in tick-free pastures until the lamb is approximately 6 weeks old. Acaricides may be used before the lambs are moved to hill pastures.
No vaccines are available for canine ehrlichiosis, equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis or tick-borne fever. Prophylactic treatment with antibiotics is sometimes used to prevent tickborne fever in ruminants