Successful Treatment of Human Plague with Oral Ciprofloxacin

Emerg Infect Dis. 2017 Mar;23(3):553-555. doi: 10.3201/eid2303.161212.

Abstract

The US Food and Drug Administration recently approved ciprofloxacin for treatment of plague (Yersina pestis infection) based on animal studies. Published evidence of efficacy in humans is sparse. We report 5 cases of culture-confirmed human plague treated successfully with oral ciprofloxacin, including 1 case of pneumonic plague.

Keywords: FDA approval; Yersinia pestis; bacteria; bacterial infection; ciprofloxacin; human; infectious diseases; plague; treatment; vector-borne infections; zoonoses.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Child
  • Ciprofloxacin / therapeutic use*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Plague / drug therapy*
  • Plague / epidemiology
  • Uganda / epidemiology

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Ciprofloxacin