SHORT-COURSE DOXYCYCLINE TREATMENT VERSUS CONVENTIONAL TETRACYCLINE THERAPY FOR SCRUB TYPHUS - A MULTICENTER RANDOMIZED TRIAL

To assess the clinical efficacy of short-course doxycycline in the tre atment of scrub typhus, we compared conventional 7-day tetracycline th erapy with 3-day doxycycline therapy in 116 patients. Patients were ra ndomized to receive either tetracycline (500 mg four times daily; n = 50) or doxycycline (100 mg twice daily; n = 66) and were followed for 4 weeks after the completion of treatment, The cure rate was 100% in t he tetracycline group and 93.9% in the doxycycline group (P > .05). Th e two groups did not differ significantly in terms of the interval req uired for defervescence or for the alleviation of symptoms, There were no relapses in either group, These data suggest that 3-day doxycyclin e therapy is as effective as conventional 7-day tetracycline therapy f or the cure of scrub typhus and the prevention of relapses.