Review An insight review on canine ehrlichiosis with emphasis on its epidemiology and pathogenesity importance Teshager Dubie 1* , Yasin Mohammed 1 , Getachew Terefe 1 , Yimer Muktar 2 and Juhar Tesfaye 1 1 College of Veterinary Medicine and agriculture, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 34, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia. 2 College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Haramaya University, P. O. Box 138, Dire Dewa, Ethiopia. Accepted 24 October, 2014 Abstract Canine ehrlichiosis is an important Immunosuppressive tick born disease in dog. The main causative agent of this disease is Ehrlichia canis. This paper provides information regarding the taxonomic classification, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestation, diagnosis, treatment and preventive measures for the indicated disease. The geographic distribution and transmission mostly related with brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineous, which act as a vector. As Ehrlichia do not contain pili the process of entering the host and facilitating infection occurs once Ehrlichia bind to the host cell by way of its outer membrane. There is no predilection for age or sex, and all breeds may be infected with CME. However, German shepherd dogs (GSD) seem to be more susceptible to CME than other breeds. Virulence variation of the E. canis strains may also affect the severity of the disease. The primary target of E.canis is mostly monocyte cells’, but other cells also can also be affected. Platelet disorders and serum protein alterations are the principal hematological and biochemical abnormalities in Canine ehrlichiosis, respectively. Clinical signs of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis are almost non specific. Definitive diagnosis of CME requires visualization of morula within monocytes on cytology, detection of serum antibodies with E. canis, the indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFA), polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification etc. Serology has low sensitivity relative to other tests. The objective of this paper is, therefore, to highlight available information on canine Ehrlichiosis with special focus on its biology, epidemiology, pathologic significance and control methods. Key words: Dog, Canine ehrlichiosis, Rhipicephalus sanguineous, Pathogenesity INTRODUCTION Canine ehrlichiosis is an important tick-borne disease of dog’s worldwide (Beall et al., 2012). It is also known as canine rickettsiosis, canine hemorrhagic fever, canine typhus, tracker dog disease, and tropical canine pancytopenia. The disease was first described in Algeria in 1935 by Donatien and Lestoquard. Ehrlichiae are a group of small, gram-negative, pleiomorphic, obligate intracellular cocci that infect different blood cells in various animal species and in human (Lauren et al., 2003). Though it is primarily the pathogen of animals but the zoonotic potential has also been reported. Humans can become infected by E. canis and other species after Global Journal of Veterinary Medicine and Research Vol. 2 (4), pp. 059-067, November, 2014. © Global Science Research Journals http://www.globalscienceresearchjournals.org/ Corresponding Author’s E-mail: teshager.dubie@yahoo.com