TY - JOUR
T1 - Atovaquone in the treatment of Babesia microti infections in hamsters
AU - Wittner, Murray
AU - Lederman, Jeffrey
AU - Tanowitz, Herbert B.
AU - Rosenbaum, Gary S.
AU - Weiss, Louis M.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 1996
Y1 - 1996
N2 - 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 he considered in the therapeutic regimen of patients with babesiosis who have either failed standard therapy or have become intolerant to such therapy.
AB - 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 he considered in the therapeutic regimen of patients with babesiosis who have either failed standard therapy or have become intolerant to such therapy.
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U2 - 10.4269/ajtmh.1996.55.219
DO - 10.4269/ajtmh.1996.55.219
M3 - Article
C2 - 8780464
AN - SCOPUS:0029756593
SN - 0002-9637
VL - 55
SP - 219
EP - 222
JO - American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
JF - American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
IS - 2
ER -