The obligate intracellular bacterium Ehrlichia canis is the etiologic agent of
Canine Monocytic Ehrlichiosis (CME), a disease of worldwide distribution, transmitted
by the brown tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus or by blood transfusion, being endemic in
several regions of Brazil, and may present in acute forms, subclinical and chronic. The
present study was based on a literature review of the available literature on Canine
Monocytic Ehrlichiosis, by consulting the following databases: Portal de Periódicos
CAPES, Harzing Publish or Perish and Google Scholar® (Google Scholar). In these,
113 studies published between 2002 and 2022 were selected. The search was carried out
using the keywords Ehrlichia canis, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Ehrlichiosis,
hemoparasitosis. Due to the high prevalence of ehrlichiosis in dogs, and the severity of
this disease, the objective was to describe relevant points through a general review of
Canine Monocytic Ehrlichiosis, covering the main aspects of the disease, such as
definition, history, prevalence of the vector and E. canis in Brazil, transmission,
symptoms, diagnosis and prophylaxis. Despite the presence of epidemiological data in
most states, it is still difficult to estimate its distribution, mainly due to the lack of
standardization in research, as it is a disease with varied clinical presentations, the
evaluation of hematological, biochemical, clinical, serological and molecular tests are
all important and necessary for the accurate diagnosis of this disease, and the prognosis
is linked to the precocity of the diagnosis. It is understood that the prophylactic use of
acaricide, routine consultations and correct handling of dogs are fundamental in the
fight against Canine Monocytic Ehrlichiosis.
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