EVALUATION OF ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY IN HUMAN LEPTOSPIROSIS
Authors: H. E. Hall, J. A. Hightower, R. Diaz Rivera, R. J. Byrne, J. E. Smadel, T. E. Woodward
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1951)

Article1 November 1951EVALUATION OF ANTIBIOTIC THERAPY IN HUMAN LEPTOSPIROSISH. E. HALL, J. A. HIGHTOWER, R. DIAZ RIVERA, M.D., R. J. BYRNE, J. E. SMADEL, M.D., T. E. WOODWARD, M.D.H. E. HALLSearch for more papers by this author, J. A. HIGHTOWERSearch for more papers by this author, R. DIAZ RIVERA, M.D.Search for more papers by this author, R. J. BYRNESearch for more papers by this author, J. E. SMADEL, M.D.Search for more papers by this author, T. E. WOODWARD, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-35-5-981 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptPrior to the advent of antibiotics, many agents were employed for the therapy of leptospirosis. Walch-Sorgdrager1some years ago reviewed the earlier literature which described the use of arsenical and bismuth compounds and of immune serum. In brief, none of these earlier remedies has stood the test of time. Moreover, sulfonamides were devoid of therapeutic value.1-4Recently numerous investigators have described the beneficial effects of penicillin in human cases. Bulmer,5Patterson4and Suchett-Kaye6concluded that this antibiotic when used during the early stages of leptospirosis, i.e., before the onset of jaundice, was markedly effective in reducing fever, lessening the severity...Bibliography1. Walch-Sorgdrager B: Leptospiroses, Bull. Health Org., League of Nations 8: 143-386, 1939. Google Scholar2. AshePratt-ThomasKumpe WFHRCW: Weil's disease: A complete review of American literature and an abstract of the world literature, Medicine 20: 145-210, 1941. CrossrefGoogle Scholar3. Senekjie HA: The clinical manifestations of leptospirosis in Louisiana, J. A. M. A. 126: 5-10, 1944. CrossrefGoogle Scholar4. Patterson HM: Weil's disease—observation in 61 cases with special reference to the use of penicillin in 6 cases, J. A. M. A. 134: 1077-1080, 1947. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Bulmer E: Weil's disease in Normandy; its treatment with penicillin, Brit. M. J. 1: 113-114, 1945. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Suchett-Kaye AI: Penicillin in Weil's disease, Lancet 1: 90-92, 1951. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Gsell O: Leptospirosen als besondere Infektform; mit Beitrag zur Aureomycintherapie, Wien. Ztschr. f. inn. Med. 31: 81-93, 1950. MedlineGoogle Scholar8. CampbellMacraeMandersonSumnerBroom AMJWGKCJC: Clinical, bacteriological and epidemiological notes on six human cases of canicola fever in Bristol, Brit. M. J. 1: 336-340, 1950. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. ChaptalBrunelPicardJean MJDJJM: Un cas de forme hemorragique de la leptospirose a "L. canicola" hemorrhagie méningée grave et recidivante, Concours méd. 71: 2449-2450, 1949. MedlineGoogle Scholar10. BrainerdLennetteMeiklejohnBruynClark HDEHGHBWH: Symposium on antibiotics; the clinical evaluation of aureomycin, J. Clin. Investigation 28: 992-1005, 1949. CrossrefGoogle Scholar11. BatchelorTodd TMGM: Aureomycin and penicillin therapy in leptospirosis (Weil's disease), J. A. M. A. 143: 21-22, 1950. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar12. YagerGochenourSmadelByrneSwisher RHWSJERJKY: Epidemiology of leptospirosis in Puerto Rico. In preparation. Google Scholar13. GochenourYagerSmadelWetmoreHightower WSRHJEPWJA: Laboratory diagnosis of leptospirosis. In preparation. Google Scholar14. ShüffnerMochtar WA: Versuche zur Aufteilung von Leptospirenstämmen mit einleitenden Bemerkungen über den Verlauf Agglutination und Lysis, Centralbl. f. Bakteriol. (abt. 1) 101: 405-413, 1927. Google Scholar15. MeyerStewart-AndersonEddie KFBB: Epidemiology of leptospirosis, Am. J. Pub. Health 29: 347-353, 1939. CrossrefGoogle Scholar16. BaerAllen LSRF: Normal blood elements and leptospira, U. S. Naval M. Bull. 43: 127-128, 1944. Google Scholar17. Fletcher W: Recent work on leptospirosis, tsutsugamushi disease and tropical typhus in the Federated Malay States, Trans. Roy. Soc. Trop. Med. and Hyg. 21: 265-288, 1927. CrossrefGoogle Scholar18. DavidsonCampbellRaeSmith LSRMHJJ: Weil's disease (leptospirosis); clinical and bacteriological study of 19 cases occurring chiefly among fish workers, Brit. M. J. 2: 1137-1142, 1934. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar19. Morton HE: Susceptibility of Syrian hamsters to leptospirosis, Proc. Soc. Exper. Biol. and Med. 49: 566-568, 1942. CrossrefGoogle Scholar20. Larson CL: Experimental leptospirosis in hamsters (Cricetus Auratus), Pub. Health Rep. 59: 522-527, 1944. CrossrefGoogle Scholar21. RandallCooper RHK: The golden hamster (Cricetus Auratus) as a test animal for the diagnosis of leptospirosis, Science 100: 133-134, 1944. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar22. GochenourYagerWetmoreEvansByrneAlexanderHightower WSRHPWLBRJAJA: Indonesian Weil's disease in Puerto Rico and the United States, Federation Proc. 10: 408-409, 1951 (abstract). Google Scholar23. Schüffner WA: Recent work on leptospirosis, Trans. Roy. Soc. Trop. Med. and Hyg. 28: 7-37, 1934. CrossrefGoogle Scholar24. BroomAlston JCJM: Weil's disease; analysis of 195 cases in England, Lancet 2: 96-97, 1948. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar25. GardnerWylie ADJA: Laboratory diagnosis of Weil's disease; 6 years' observations, Lancet 1: 955-958, 1946. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar26. YagerGochenourSmadelSwisher RHWSJEKY: Concurrent infection of man with L. icterohaemorrhagiae and L. bataviae. In preparation. Google Scholar27. GochenourYagerByrne WSRHRJ: Isolation of leptospira (unidentified) in Puerto Rico. In preparation. Google Scholar28. Heilman FR: Penicillin in the treatment of experimental leptospirosis icterohaemorrhagica (Weil's disease), Proc. Staff Meet. Mayo Clin. 19: 89-99, 1944. Google Scholar29. AlstonBroom JMJC: The action of penicillin on leptospira and on leptospiral infections in guinea pigs, Brit. M. J. 2: 718-719, 1944. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar30. LarsonGriffitts CLJJ: A comparison of the effect of penicillin and immune serum on the treatment of experimental leptospirosis in young white mice and in hamsters, Pub. Health Rep. 60: 317-323, 1945. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar31. AugustineWeinmanMacAllister DLDJ: Penicillin sodium therapy in experimental Weil's disease, New England J. Med. 231: 358-359, 1944. CrossrefGoogle Scholar32. Chang SL: Studies on Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae. II. A critical study of the effect of penicillin on Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae in vitro and in leptospirosis in guinea pigs, J. Clin. Investigation 25: 752-760, 1946. CrossrefGoogle Scholar33. Heilman FR: Streptomycin in the treatment of experimental relapsing fever and leptospirosis icterohaemorrhagica (Weil's disease), Proc. Staff Meet., Mayo Clin. 20: 169-176, 1945. Google Scholar34. BrunnerMeyer KTKF: Streptomycin in the treatment of leptospira carriers. Experiments with hamsters and dogs, Proc. Soc. Exper. Biol. and Med. 70: 450-452, 1949. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar35. BrunnerMeyer KTKF: Effects of aureomycin on Leptospira canicola and Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae in vitro and experimental carrier studies, Am. J. Vet. Res. 11: 89-90, 1950. Google Scholar36. Heilman FR: Aureomycin in the treatment of relapsing fever and leptospirosis icterohaemorrhagica (Weil's disease), Proc. Staff Meet., Mayo Clin. 23: 569-573, 1948. MedlineGoogle Scholar37. ThompsonDunn PEMC: Parke, Davis and Company. Personal communication. Google Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: *Received for publication May 25, 1951.From The Tropical Research Medical Laboratory and the Municipal Hospitals, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Army Medical Service Graduate School, Washington, D. C.; and School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore.This study was supported in part by funds from the Commission on Immunization of the Armed Forces Epidemiological Board and the Lederle Laboratories Division of the American Cyanamid Company. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byA Systematic Review of the Mortality from Untreated LeptospirosisThe Jarisch-Herxheimer Reaction in Leptospirosis: A Systematic ReviewAntibiotics for leptospirosisAntibiotics for treating leptospirosisLEPTOSPIROSISReversible Thick Ascending Limb Dysfunction and Aseptic Meningitis Syndrome: Early Manifestation in Two Leptospirosis PatientsEvaluation of penicillin therapy in patients with leptospirosis and acute renal failureAntibiotics for leptospirosisPLACEBO-CONTROLLED TRIAL OF INTRAVENOUS PENICILLIN FOR SEVERE AND LATE LEPTOSPIROSISPenicillins, cephalosporins, and tetracyclines in treatment of hamsters with fatal leptospirosisDoxycycline Therapy for LeptospirosisJ. BRUCE L. McCLAIN, W. RIPLEY BALLOU, SHANNON M. HARRISON, DONALD L. STEINWEGIn vitro susceptibilities of five Leptospira strains to 16 antimicrobial agentsLeptospirosisTREATMENT AND CONTROL OF LEPTOSPIROSISHuman LeptospirosisSporadic Anicteric Leptospirosis in South Vietnam A Study in 150 PatientsSTEVEN J. BERMAN, M.D., CHE-CHUNG TSAI, D.V.M., KING HOLMES, M.D., Ph.D., JAMES W. FRESH, M.D., RAYMOND H. WATTEN, M.D.Bovine Leptospirosis. A ReviewPENICILLIN IN LEPTOSPIROSISSCRAPIE AND KURUClinical characteristics of leptospirosisTREATMENT OF LEPTOSPIROSIS WITH OXYTETRACYCLINECHLORAMPHENICOL AND PENICILLIN IN THE TREATMENT OF LEPTOSPIROSIS AMONG BRITISH TROOPS IN MALAYABLOOD CULTURE IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF LEPTOSPIROSIS IN NORTH QUEENSLANDLeptospirosisA CLINICAL STUDY OF LEPTOSPIROSIS IN NORTH QUEENSLANDLEPTOSPIRA GRIPPOTYPHOSA*EDWIN E. GOLDBERG, M.D., HAROLD B. SHRIFTER, M.D., MURRAY FRANKLIN, M.D., F.A.C.P.Leptospiral infections of manPaper: Leptospirosis in tropical countries A reviewDiscussion: Treatment of Non-Tuberculous Meningitis [ Abridged ]Newer knowledge of leptospirosis in the United StatesCanicola Fever 1 November 1951Volume 35, Issue 5Page: 981-998KeywordsAntibioticsHealth services researchHispanic peopleHospital medicineImmune serumLeptospirosisMedical servicesPenicillinResearch laboratoriesSulfonamide ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 November 1951 PDF downloadLoading ...