ehrlichiosis

noun

ehr·​lich·​i·​o·​sis er-ˌli-kē-ˈō-sis How to pronounce ehrlichiosis (audio)
plural ehrlichioses er-ˌli-kē-ˈō-ˌsēz How to pronounce ehrlichiosis (audio)
: 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 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 According to Salzer, other lone star tick diseases, such as ehrlichiosis, have been increasing as well, suggesting lone star tick numbers could be increasing in the U.S. Bree Iskandar, STAT, 27 July 2023 These parasites can cause a host of health issues that can be detrimental to your pet's health, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and ehrlichiosis. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 24 June 2023 See all Example Sentences for ehrlichiosis 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ehrlichiosis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ehrlichiosis was in 1965

Dictionary Entries Near ehrlichiosis

Cite this Entry

“Ehrlichiosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ehrlichiosis. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

ehrlichiosis

noun
ehr·​lich·​i·​o·​sis er-ˌlik-ē-ˈō-sis How to pronounce ehrlichiosis (audio)
plural ehrlichioses -ˌsēz How to pronounce ehrlichiosis (audio)
: 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.

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