title: Treatment of tick-bite fever with erythromycin.
abstract: Because of the occasional need for an alternative drug for the treatment of tick-bite fever, a study of the value of erythromycin for the variety of tick-borne typhus fever occurring in southern Africa was undertaken. In guinea-pigs erythromycin 125 mg/kg for 5 days largely prevented the fever and other signs of the infection, but did not prevent the serological reaction as determined by the rickettsial complement fixation test. A series of 17 human patients were treated for 4 days with erythromycin 500 mg 6-hourly for adults and 30-50 mg/kg/d in 4 divided doses for children. Eleven patients appeared to respond favourably. It was concluded that erythromycin does not have as specific a value as tetracycline in the treatment of tick-bite fever, but that when tetracycline is contraindicated erythromycin is a useful alternative drug.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004917:Erythromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012282:Rickettsia Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D004917:Erythromycin