SUCCESSFUL PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF BABESIOSIS WITH ATOVAQUONE

Authors
Citation
Wt. Hughes et Hs. Oz, SUCCESSFUL PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF BABESIOSIS WITH ATOVAQUONE, The Journal of infectious diseases, 172(4), 1995, pp. 1042-1046
Citations number
23
Categorie Soggetti
Infectious Diseases
ISSN journal
00221899
Volume
172
Issue
4
Year of publication
1995
Pages
1042 - 1046
Database
ISI
SICI code
0022-1899(1995)172:4<1042:SPATOB>2.0.ZU;2-M
Abstract
Atovaquone was evaluated for the prevention and treatment of babesiosi s in hamsters. When atovaquone was administered before inoculation of 10(6) Babesia microti and continued for 8 days thereafter, 9 of 10 ham sters survived beyond 54 days, but all untreated controls died within 12 days after inoculation. Quantitation of parasitemia showed a mean o f 75% erythrocytes parasitized by day 5 in controls, but atovaquone re cipients never exceeded 0.7% of parasitized erythrocytes over 54 days of observation, Clindamycin plus quinine was also effective but less s o than atovaquone, When treatment was not started until parasitemia be came established, atovaquone in doses of 300, 150, and 80 mg/kg/day wa s effective in the recovery of all animals compared with 50% of those receiving 10 mg/kg/day and 10% of untreated controls. With its remarka ble safety record, atovaquone offers promise for clinical trials in ba besiosis of both humans and lower animals.