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Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, June 2006, p. 1989-1992, Vol. 50, No. 6
0066-4804/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.01467-05
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Efficacy of Macrolides and Telithromycin against Leptospirosis in a Hamster Model

James E. Moon, Michael C. Ellis, Matthew E. Griffith, Joshua S. Hawley, Robert G. Rivard, Suzanne McCall, Duane R. Hospenthal, and Clinton K. Murray*

Department of Medicine and Department of Clinical Investigation, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas

Received 11 November 2005/ Returned for modification 7 March 2006/ Accepted 28 March 2006

Human studies support the use of ß-lactams and tetracyclines in the treatment of leptospirosis. Additional agents from these and other classes of antimicrobials also have in vitro activity against Leptospira species, though corroborating in vivo data are limited or lacking. We evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of azithromycin, clarithromycin, and telithromycin in a lethal hamster model of leptospirosis using Leptospira interrogans serogroup Canicola serovar Portlandvere. A range of dosages for each antimicrobial was given to the infected animals on days 2 through 7 (5 days) of the 21-day survival model. All untreated control animals survived less than 10 days from infection. Ninety to 100% of doxycycline controls, treated for 5 days with 5 mg/kg of body weight of drug, survived to 21 days. Treatment with azithromycin (daily dose: 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, or 200 mg/kg) resulted in 100% survival at all evaluated doses. Animals receiving 20 mg/kg or more of clarithromycin (daily dose: 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 40, 60, or 100 mg/kg) had improved survival. Ninety-eight percent of animals treated with telithromycin (daily dose: 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, or 40 mg/kg) survived. We conclude that all agents tested have demonstrated in vivo efficacy in treating acute leptospirosis. These results provide support for further evaluation of macrolide and ketolide antimicrobial agents in human trials.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Infectious Disease (MCHE-MDI-7E), Brooke Army Medical Center, 3851 Roger Brooke Drive, Fort Sam Houston, Texas 78234. Phone: (210) 916-4355. Fax: (210) 916-0388. E-mail: Clinton.Murray{at}amedd.army.mil.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, June 2006, p. 1989-1992, Vol. 50, No. 6
0066-4804/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AAC.01467-05
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Ressner, R. A., Griffith, M. E., Beckius, M. L., Pimentel, G., Miller, R. S., Mende, K., Fraser, S. L., Galloway, R. L., Hospenthal, D. R., Murray, C. K. (2008). Antimicrobial Susceptibilities of Geographically Diverse Clinical Human Isolates of Leptospira. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 52: 2750-2754 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Griffith, M. E., Moon, J. E., Johnson, E. N., Clark, K. P., Hawley, J. S., Hospenthal, D. R., Murray, C. K. (2007). Efficacy of Fluoroquinolones against Leptospira interrogans in a Hamster Model. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 51: 2615-2617 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Moon, J. E., Rivard, R. G., Griffith, M. E., Ressner, R. A., McCall, S., Reitstetter, R. E., Hospenthal, D. R., Murray, C. K. (2007). Effect of timing and duration of azithromycin therapy of leptospirosis in a hamster model. J Antimicrob Chemother 59: 148-151 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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