Efficacy of moxifloxacin or gatifloxacin as prophylaxis against experimental murine Brucella melitensis infection

The prophylactic potential of moxifloxacin and gatifloxacin was assessed in comparison with doxycycline, an established therapeutic antibiotic, to limit or control infection by Brucella melitensis in an experimental mouse model, determined by reduced bacterial burden in the spleen. Although moxifloxacin was found to have a small protective effect when administered 6 h following infection, neither moxifloxacin nor gatifloxacin showed significant efficacy in vivo. In comparison, doxycycline provided significant protection when prophylaxis was started at 6 h, 7 days or 14 days following infection. Overall, these results confirm the utility of doxycycline in the prophylaxis of brucellosis and suggest that neither moxifloxacin nor gatifloxacin are likely to be valuable for post-exposure prophylaxis of Brucella infection.