From the Guidelines
Yes, anaplasmosis can cause fever and nausea, but pharyngitis is not typically a characteristic symptom of this infection. Anaplasmosis is a tick-borne disease caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum. The most common symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, chills, and nausea/vomiting, as reported in a study published in 2016 1. Patients may also experience abdominal pain, confusion, and joint pain.
Key Symptoms and Treatment
- The standard treatment for anaplasmosis is doxycycline 100mg taken orally twice daily for 10-14 days, even for children and pregnant women due to the severity of the infection, as recommended in the 2016 guidelines 1.
- Early treatment is crucial as the disease can become severe or fatal if left untreated, particularly in elderly or immunocompromised patients.
- Laboratory findings often include low white blood cell count, low platelet count, and elevated liver enzymes.
Distinguishing from Other Infections
- While respiratory symptoms can occasionally occur with anaplasmosis, sore throat or pharyngitis specifically is not a hallmark symptom, which helps distinguish it from viral respiratory infections.
- The clinical features of anaplasmosis are summarized in a 2016 report 1, highlighting the importance of fever, headache, and myalgia as typical symptoms, with rash being rare.
- The case-fatality rate for anaplasmosis is less than 1%, but serious and fatal opportunistic viral and fungal infections have occurred during the course of anaplasmosis, as noted in a 2016 study 1.
From the Research
Symptoms of Anaplasmosis
- Fever is a common symptom of anaplasmosis, as reported in the study 2
- Headaches and lethargy are also common symptoms, but nausea is not explicitly mentioned in the study 2
- Another study 3 mentions that anaplasmosis can present with respiratory symptoms, but does not specifically mention nausea or pharyngitis
Pharyngitis
- Pharyngitis can be caused by viral, bacterial, or fungal infections, and its symptoms can overlap with those of anaplasmosis 4, 5
- The most common bacterial cause of pharyngitis is Group A β-hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS), which can cause symptoms such as sore throat, fever, and headache 4, 5
- However, there is no direct evidence to suggest that anaplasmosis causes pharyngitis, as the studies focus on the symptoms and treatment of anaplasmosis and pharyngitis separately
Treatment and Symptoms
- The treatment of pharyngitis depends on the underlying cause, and antibiotics may be prescribed for bacterial infections such as GABHS 4, 5, 6
- The study 6 compares the effectiveness of different antibiotics in treating GABHS pharyngitis, but does not mention anaplasmosis
- In summary, while anaplasmosis can cause fever, it is unclear if it can cause nausea and pharyngitis, as these symptoms are not explicitly mentioned in the studies 2, 3