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Atovaquone in the treatment of Babesia microti infections in hamsters.
- Source :
-
The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene [Am J Trop Med Hyg] 1996 Aug; Vol. 55 (2), pp. 219-22. - Publication Year :
- 1996
-
Abstract
- The traditional therapy for the treatment of human Babesia microti infections has been the combination of clindamycin and quinine. However, in recent years, it has become apparent that some patients have not responded to this regimen. We became involved in the treatment of several cases of babesiosis in which atovaquone was used to treat this infection. Therefore, using the hamster model, we determined the efficacy of atovaquone alone as well as atovaquone plus azithromycin for the treatment of experimental babesiosis. Atovaquone (100 mg/kg/day) and atovaquone (100 mg/kg/day) with azithromycin (150 mg/kg/day) were effective agents for the treatment of experimental babesiosis in hamsters. When atovaquone was used as monotherapy recrudescences occurred. Organisms obtained from recrudescent animals, when inoculated into uninfected animals, proved to be unresponsive to atovaquone therapy, suggesting the emergence of drug resistance. Resistant organisms did not emerge in hamsters treated with the combination of atovaquone and azithromycin. Atovaquone should be considered in the therapeutic regimen of patients with babesiosis who have either failed standard therapy or have become intolerant to such therapy.
- Subjects :
- Animals
Anti-Bacterial Agents therapeutic use
Antimalarials therapeutic use
Atovaquone
Azithromycin therapeutic use
Cricetinae
Disease Models, Animal
Drug Therapy, Combination
Recurrence
Sesquiterpenes therapeutic use
Antiprotozoal Agents therapeutic use
Artemisinins
Babesiosis drug therapy
Naphthoquinones therapeutic use
Parasitemia drug therapy
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0002-9637
- Volume :
- 55
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 8780464
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.1996.55.219