Many of us love our pets as they mean the world to us. There are cat lovers, dog lovers, people obsessed with rabbits and so much more. Many of us might love to pet stray animals for sheer sympathy. Be it our pets or the animals that we pet, all of them are home to ticks, the common mite that resides in animal fur that triggers itching in them. Something similar to the lice infestation on our scalp. The bacterial infection caused due to this tick is understood as Ehrlichiosis. It is not a very fast spreading disease with an average annual incidence rate of 2 to 3 per million in the population. This infection is primarily transmitted through tick bites and generally seen in the Central and Southern parts of the United States.
Often the symptoms only occur after a week or two after the bite. The symptoms do vary from person to person and may range from flu-like symptoms to diarrhea and evn red eyes in children. Unlike other bacterial outbursts, a generalized rash is much uncommon in this condition. Individuals associated with other health problems often portray other manifestations like seizures, breathing difficulty, organ failure and Coma in the most chronic cases. Blood tests are much needed to confirm the presence of the bacterium for identifying the condition as ehrlichiosis. The treatment is achieved with antibiotic injections and oral supplements. It is not fatal unless affected with other serious diseases or those who are immune compromised. Like any other snag, it is much easier to prevent this disease by simply keeping your pets away from ticks, instead of having to face this deadly pathogen.
