5 cases of culture-confirmed human plague treated successfully with oral ciprofloxacin
February 2nd, 2017Abstract: “The US Food and Drug Administration recently approved ciprofloxacin for treatment of plague (Yersina pestis infection) based on animal studies. Published evidence of efficacy in humans is sparse. We report 5 cases of culture-confirmed human plague treated successfully with oral ciprofloxacin, including 1 case of pneumonic plague.”
Apangu T, Griffith K, Abaru J, Candini G, Apio H, Okoth F, et al. Successful treatment of human plague with oral ciprofloxacin. Emerg Infect Dis. 2017 Mar [date cited]. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2303.161212
Patient no. | Age, y/sex | Length of illness, d* | Symptoms | Laboratory evidence | Ciprofloxacin dose, mg† |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 10/F | 7 | Fever, left axillary bubo | Bubo, blood cultures positive | 250 |
2 | 52/F | 4 | Fever, right axillary bubo | Bubo, blood cultures positive | 650 |
3 | 27/F | 1 | Fever, left inguinal bubo | Bubo, blood cultures positive | 750 |
4 | 36/M | 1 | Fever, left axillary bubo | Blood culture positive | 625 |
5 | 13/M | 6 | Fever, chest pain, cough, blood-tinged sputum | Sputum culture positive, blood culture negative | 375 |
*At time treatment was sought.
†Orally, twice daily; ≈15 mg/kg bodyweight with a maximum of 750 mg.