title: Efficacy of the treatment of dogs with leishmaniosis with a combination of metronidazole and spiramycin.
abstract: Twenty-seven dogs infected naturally with Leishmania infantum were used in a randomised controlled trial to compare the clinical and parasitological efficacy of an oral treatment with a combination of metronidazole and spiramycin (13 dogs) with the efficacy of conventional treatment with meglumine antimonate and allopurinol (14 dogs) as controls. In the test group one dog had to be withdrawn from the treatment because it developed pemphigus foliaceus; 10 of the dogs were clinically responsive but none was cured parasitologically. In the control group four dogs were withdrawn from the treatment because of side effects; eight of the dogs were clinically responsive but none was cured parasitologically. The control group showed signs of improvement after an average of 30 days, whereas the test group did not show signs of improvement until after an average of 45 days.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche Veterinarie, Università degli Studi di Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Pennisi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Majo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masucci
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Britti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Del Maso
mesh_terms: D000493:Allopurinol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004285:Dogs; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D018314:Leishmania infantum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007898:Leishmaniasis, Visceral / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D015572:Spiramycin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D008795:Metronidazole; D000493:Allopurinol; D008536:Meglumine; D015572:Spiramycin