title: Efficacy of short-course ceftriaxone therapy for Borrelia burgdorferi infection in C3H mice.
abstract: Ceftriaxone is highly effective clinically in patients with Lyme disease. We studied a representative invasive human isolate of Borrelia burgdorferi for which the MBC of ceftriaxone was 0.050 microg/ml. A once-per-day dosage regimen of ceftriaxone (50 mg/kg/dose) administered intramuscularly for 5 days was 100% effective in sterilizing tissue samples of C3H mice infected with this strain of B. burgdorferi, regardless of whether the mice were being treated concomitantly with a corticosteroid. Administration of the same five doses of ceftriaxone at 6-h intervals over just 24 h was also 100% effective. These experiments suggest that shorter courses of antibiotics than those currently recommended should be considered for study in patients with early uncomplicated Lyme disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York 10595, USA.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pavia
authors.forename: Mario A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Inchiosa
authors.forename: Gary P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Wormser
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000187:drug effects; D002443:Ceftriaxone / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002511:Cephalosporins; D002443:Ceftriaxone