Status of Borrelia burgdorferi infection after antibiotic treatment and the effects of corticosteroids: An experimental study.
Sixteen specific-pathogen-free beagles were infected with Borrelia burgdorferi. Three groups of 4 dogs were treated with antibiotics for 30 consecutive days starting 120 days after tick exposure; 4 dogs were untreated controls. At day 420 after tick exposure and again before euthanasia, 2 dogs of each group were treated with prednisone for 14 days. All dogs contracted infection and 11 developed acute arthritis 50-120 days after exposure. After day 120, one of 12 antibiotic-treated dogs and 2 of 4 untreated dogs became lame. Antibiotic therapy reduced the frequency of Borrelia-positivity in subsequent skin biopsy samples. After prednisone treatment, both control dogs developed severe polyarthritis. At euthanasia, single tissues of the antibiotic-treated dogs and multiple tissues of all control dogs were Borrelia-positive by polymerase chain reaction. Viable spirochetes were not recovered from antibiotic-treated dogs. Two antibiotic-treated dogs showed histologic evidence of minimal lesions, whereas all control dogs had mild polyarthritis with periarteritis.
Straubinger
R K
RK
James A. Baker Institute for Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca NY, 14853, USA. rks4@cornell.edu
Straubinger
A F
AF
Summers
B A
BA
Jacobson
R H
RH
D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011241:Prednisone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013987:Ticks / Q000382:microbiology
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D011241:Prednisone