Can You Get Ehrlichiosis More Than Once?

Yes, you can get ehrlichiosis more than once. Having the disease once does not grant you lasting immunity, meaning you can be reinfected if you are bitten by another infected tick.

Why You Aren’t Immune

It is a common misunderstanding that once you have an infection, you can never get it again. Unlike some infections (like chickenpox) that give you lifelong protection, recovering from ehrlichiosis does not build a permanent defense ^[1].

Additionally, there are several different species of Ehrlichia bacteria that can cause human illness, including Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Ehrlichia ewingii, and Ehrlichia muris eauclairensis ^[2][3][4]. Even if your body develops some temporary immune protection against the specific strain that made you sick, this will not protect you against the other types of Ehrlichia ^[5][3].

Finally, the bacteria that cause ehrlichiosis have sophisticated ways to hide from and subvert your immune system ^[6][7]. This makes it difficult for your body to establish long-term protective memory against the disease.

What This Means for Your Daily Life

Getting back to the outdoors after a scary bout of ehrlichiosis can be anxiety-inducing. However, because you can catch ehrlichiosis again—and because the same ticks can also carry other serious diseases like Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever—prevention remains a permanent necessity. When used correctly, tick prevention strategies significantly lower your risk, allowing you to safely enjoy the outdoors.

To protect yourself from future tick bites when spending time in wooded or grassy areas, you should:

• Use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus on your skin.
• Treat your clothing and gear with 0.5% permethrin.
• Perform daily tick checks on yourself, your children, and your pets after being outdoors. Ticks can transmit the bacteria that cause ehrlichiosis within 24 hours of attaching, so prompt removal is critical.
• Use veterinarian-approved tick preventatives on your pets, as dogs can easily carry unattached ticks into the house.
• Shower soon after coming indoors to wash off any unattached ticks.
• Wear long sleeves and pants, tucking your pants into your socks to prevent ticks from crawling up your legs.

When to See a Doctor

If you start feeling sick after a known tick bite or after spending time in tick habitats, do not assume you are safe just because you’ve had ehrlichiosis before. Early symptoms of reinfection are similar to your first infection and may include fever, chills, severe headache, muscle aches, fatigue, and sometimes a rash.

Try not to panic if you experience these symptoms. Just like your first infection, an ehrlichiosis reinfection is highly treatable with antibiotics when caught early. Contact your healthcare provider right away, and make sure to remind them of your tick exposure history.