Acute Communicable Disease Control

Anaplasmosis is a tickborne disease caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum. It was previously known as human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) and has more recently been called human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA). Anaplasmosis is transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected tick and is endemic in states where the tick vectors are found: the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) in New England and North Central US and the western black-legged tick (Ixodes pacificus) in northern California. States with the highest incidence of anaplasmosis include Rhode Island, Minnesota, and Connecticut. Typical symptoms include: fever, headache, chills, and muscle aches. Usually, these symptoms occur within 1-2 weeks of a tick bite. Anaplasmosis is initially diagnosed based on symptoms and clinical presentation, and later confirmed by the use of specialized laboratory tests. The first line treatment for adults and children of all ages is doxycycline. Anaplasmosis and other tickborne diseases can be prevented.

• ACDC: A Manual of Departmental Rules, Regulations and Control Procedures 
• Ehrlichiosis/Anaplasmosis Case Report

• CDC: Anaplasmosis and Tick-Related Information
• Diagnosis and Management of Tickborne Rickettsial Diseases: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichioses, and Anaplasmosis---United States. A practical guide for physicians and other health-care and public health professionals (MMWR: March 31, 2006, 55(RR04); 1-27) 
• CDC: What to do after a tick bite?