Disease tends to be more serious in the elderly and other populations of immunocompromised individuals. Due to the vague nature of symptoms and similarities to other illnesses, differential diagnoses is most often Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Early recognition of Ehrlichia infection is important if one is to reduce the risk of fatality. Symptoms of ehrlichiosis in cattle, dogs, and horses resemble the human infection, although horses develop swollen legs as well, which clues veterinarians to the possibility of Ehrlichia infection. One researcher, Dr. John E. Madigan at university of California Davis school of veterinary medicine has noted correlation between outbreaks of equine ehrlichiosis and human cases.
Veterinarians are very skilled at identifying ehrlichiosis in horses.
The appearance of the disease in horses should serve as a marker for public health officials to the potential of human infections occurring in the same area. Ehrlichia bacteria are susceptible to a broad spectrum of antibiotics, with tetracycline and doxycycline the drugs of choice. Since these drugs can result in abnormal tooth coloration in children, infected children are usually treated with chloramphenicol as an effective alternative. Severe cases may require hospitalization in order to monitor organ function and leukocyte titers and to administer intraveinous fluid replacement. Additional antibiotics may be necessary if secondary infection occurs.