THE COMBINATION OF AMPHOTERICIN-B AND AZITHROMYCIN AS A POTENTIAL NEWTHERAPEUTIC APPROACH TO FUSARIOSIS

We investigated the interaction between amphotericin B and azithromyci n in vitro against 26 clinical isolates of Fusarium. Synergy was demon strated in all isolates. Amphotericin B MICs were reduced from a mean of 1 mg/L when tested alone to a mean of 0.37 mg/L when tested in comb ination with azithromycin. Azithromycin demonstrated no activity again st Fusarium when tested alone (MIC > 128 mg/L). When combined with amp hotericin B the mean MIC was reduced to 5.5 mg/L, a level readily achi eved in tissue. Given the resistance of Fusarium to conventional thera py, the in-vitro synergy between amphotericin B and azithromycin might prove to be important in therapy for fusariosis.