Ticked Off: The Ehrlichiosis Episode with Dr. Liisa Ahlstrom
Ehrlichiosis is here—and it’s not your usual paralysis tick story. In this warm, technical chat with Dr Liisa Ahlstrom, technical vet at Elanco for Seresto, we break down what ehrlichiosis is, where it’s showing up across Australia, and why prevention looks different when transmission can occur in as little as three hours. This is Part 1 (the what/where/prevention); Part 2 brings Prof. Peter Irwin for diagnostics, differentials, and nursing care.
📄 Episode Show Notes
Most of us on the east coast know the paralysis tick all too well — but did you know there’s another tick-borne disease spreading across Australia that looks completely different? In this episode of the Vet Nurse Hacker podcast, I’m joined by Dr Liisa Ahlstrom, technical vet at Elanco for Seresto, to shine a light on ehrlichiosis.
We unpack:
- ✅ What ehrlichiosis actually is (and how to pronounce it without tripping over your tongue)
- ✅ The difference between the brown dog tick and the paralysis tick — and how their diseases show up so differently in patients
- ✅ Why prevention for ehrlichiosis is a whole new ball game, with transmission happening in as little as three hours
- ✅ How this disease arrived in Australia, where it’s spreading, and what that means for clinics everywhere
- ✅ Key myth-busts and takeaways for vet nurses, techs, and vets on the frontlines
This is part one of a two-part ehrlichiosis series. Today we set the scene with the what, where, and how to prevent it. In part two, I’ll be joined by Professor Peter Irwin for the clinical deep dive into diagnostics, differentials, and nursing care. If you’ve ever pulled a brown dog tick off a patient and thought “phew, at least it’s not a paralysis tick” — this is an episode you can’t afford to miss.
🔗 Resources mentioned in this episode (Links Coming Upon Upload!)- Australian Government (DAFF) ehrlichiosis resources: Ehrlichiosis in dogs – information for clinics, owners, and rescues
- Fourie et al. 2013 – Disease transmission within 3 hours of tick bite: Vet Parasitol. 197:595–603
- Stanneck & Fourie 2013 – Seresto preventing Ehrlichia canis transmission: Parasitol Res. 112:S21–S32
- Jongejan et al. 2016 – Comparing repellent vs systemic tick products for ehrlichiosis prevention: Parasit Vectors. 9:348
💬 Got a question, case story, or lightbulb moment from this episode? I’d love to hear it — DM me on Instagram @vetnursehacker or @vickythevetnurse, or email me at vetnursehacker@gmail.com.
