Tickpedia
Removal · field guidance

Anaplasmosis / ehrlichiosis empirical doxycycline

Fever and low platelets after a tick bite warrant empirical doxycycline for anaplasmosis or ehrlichiosis, even before lab confirmation.

Steps

schema.org/HowTo
  1. 01
    Suspect anaplasmosis (Ixodes) or ehrlichiosis (Amblyomma) with fever, headache, myalgia, and laboratory leukopenia or thrombocytopenia.
  2. 02
    Start doxycycline immediately on suspicion; PCR and serology often lag.
  3. 03
    Adult dose: 100 mg twice daily; pediatric: 2.2 mg/kg twice daily (max 100 mg/dose).
  4. 04
    Continue at least 3 days after fever resolves, generally 10-14 days total.
  5. 05
    Improvement usually appears within 24-48 hours; if not, reconsider the diagnosis.
  6. 06
    Co-infection with Lyme is common; doxycycline covers both.

Wild facts

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