Efficacy of antimicrobial treatments and vaccination regimens for control of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and Streptococcus suis coinfection of nursery pigs. (1/87)

Seventy-six, crossbred, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV)-free pigs were weaned at 12 days of age and randomly assigned to seven groups of 10 to 11 pigs each. Pigs in group 1 served as unchallenged controls. Pigs in groups 2 to 7 were challenged intranasally with 2 ml of high-virulence PRRSV isolate VR-2385 (10(4.47) 50% tissue culture infective doses per 2 ml) on day 0 of the study (30 days of age). Seven days after PRRSV challenge, pigs in groups 2 to 7 were challenged intranasally with 2 ml of Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (10(8.30) CFU/2 ml). Group 2 pigs served as untreated positive controls. Antimicrobial treatments included daily intramuscular injection with 66,000 IU of procaine penicillin G per kg of body weight on days 8 to 10 (group 3), drinking water medication with 23.1 mg of tiamulin per kg during days 8 to 10 (group 4), and daily intramuscular injection of 5.0 mg of ceftiofur hydrochloride per kg on days 8 to 10 (group 5). Vaccination regimens included two intramuscular doses of an autogenous killed S. suis vaccine (group 6) prior to S. suis challenge or a single 2-ml intramuscular dose of an attenuated live PRRSV vaccine (group 7) 2 weeks prior to PRRSV challenge. Mortality was 0, 63, 45, 54, 9, 40, and 81% in groups 1 to 7, respectively. Ceftiofur treatment was the only regimen that significantly (P < 0. 05) reduced mortality associated with PRRSV and S. suis coinfection. The other treatments and vaccinations were less effective. We conclude that ceftiofur administered by injection for three consecutive days following S. suis challenge was the most effective regimen for minimizing disease associated with PRRSV and S. suis coinfection.  (+info)

Inflammatory response to intramuscular implantation of polyacrylonitrile ultrafiltration probes in sheep. (2/87)

Polyacrylonitrile is used in the manufacture of dialysis membranes. These membranes are fundamental to the functioning of implantable probes for microdialysis and ultrafiltration sampling of tissue fluids. Although in vivo experimentation using polyacrylonitrile has been reported to cause little inflammatory response when implanted subcutaneously, such information is not available for intramuscular implantation in sheep. The procaine and benzathine salts of penicillin are formulated for intramuscular injection. These salts of penicillin or the formulation excipients may cause inflammatory reactions. Use of polyacrylonitrile probes to draw samples from sites at which these formulations have been injected may be compromised by inflammation or direct interaction between formulation excipients and the dialysis membrane. The aim of this project was to describe tissue responses to intramuscular implantation of polyacrylonitrile in the presence and absence of either procaine or procaine plus benzathine salts of penicillin G. Each of 20 normal sheep was implanted with two ultrafiltration probes, one at the site of an injection of procaine or benzathine plus procaine penicillin G. Similar injections were also made at remote intramuscular sites. After 8, 9, and 11 days of the experiment, sheep were killed and the injection and implantation site muscle were excised and prepared for histopathological examination. The implantation of the probe alone caused greater inflammatory response than the injection of procaine or procaine plus benzathine penicillin G at remote intramuscular sites. The histopathological lesions were greatest where the implantation site was coupled with the injection of either formulation of penicillin G. Polyacrylonitrile may not be a suitable dialysis membrane material for intramuscular implantation in sheep.  (+info)

Ampicillin plus probenecid compared with procaine penicillin plus probenecid in the treatment of gonorrhoea. (3/87)

396 male patients with gonococcal urethritis were treated by one of three treatment schedules. Of 132 patients treated with 2.4 m.u. procaine penicillin plus 2 g. probenecid, 109 were followed. There were three (2.8 per cent) recurrences in the first week and none in the second. Of 132 patients treated with 2 g. ampicillin plus 2 g. probenecid, 112 were followed. There were four (3.6 per cent.) recurrences in the first week and three (2.6 per cent.) in the second (total of 6.2 per cent.). Of 132 patients treated with 3 g. ampicillin plus 2 g. probenecid, 115 were followed. There was one (0.8 per cent.) recurrence in the first week and five (4.4 per cent.) in the second (total of 5.2 per cent.). A close correlation was found between the sensitivities of gonococcal strains to ampicillin and to penicillin. The overall sensitivity pattern of N. gonorrhoeae to penicillin had not changed at The London Hospital since the last report in 1972, but there was further evidence of cross-resistance between penicillin and cotrimoxazole.  (+info)

Penicillin concentrations in serum, milk, and urine following intramuscular and subcutaneous administration of increasing doses of procaine penicillin G in lactating dairy cows. (4/87)

Eight healthy, non-pregnant, crossbred Holstein dairy cows (557-682 kg) within their first 3 months of lactation (13-21.5 kg of milk/day) were used. Cows were kept in tie stalls for the whole experiment. The 8 cows were randomly assigned to 2 (IM and SC) 4 x 4 balanced Latin square design experiments. Doses of procaine penicillin G (PPG) (300000 IU/mL) in each square were 7000, 14000, 21000 and 28000 IU/kg and were injected IM or SC once daily for 5 consecutive days. Volumes of PPG per site of injection never exceeded 20 mL. Blood was collected to determine the Cmax, Tmax, and AUC; urine and milk were also taken to measure the persistence of PPG in these fluids. Results show that serum Cmax and Tmax were only slightly affected by increasing the doses or the route of administration, whereas the AUC was linearly increased in relation to the dose injected in both modes of injection. In the urine, Cmax varied from 160 to 388 IU/mL and Tmax from 72-120 h during 5 consecutive days of PPG injection. A dose effect in Cmax was observed only for the IM route of administration and no variation (P > 0.05) was found between the IM and SC routes. Milk Cmax concentrations were only increased by the dose regimen in the IM group. At doses of 21000 and 28000 IU/kg, the IM group had a higher (P > 0.05) Cmax when compared with the SC groups. Milk PPG residues were not detectable over 96 h following the last IM injection, independently of the dose injected. However milk PPG residues were detected for up to 132 h following the last SC injection. These results show that when PPG is injected IM once daily in volumes not exceeding 20 mL/site at doses as high as 28000 IU/kg, the withdrawal period should be at least 96 h. Therefore, in the present model, there was no advantage to inject PPG by SC route to improve PPG kinetic parameters as the AUC, Cmax, or Tmax.  (+info)

Chemotherapy of experimental streptococcal endocarditis. IV. Further observations on prophylaxis. (5/87)

The ability of antibiotics to prevent Streptococcus sanguis endocarditis was tested in rabbits. Only vancomycin or a combination of penicillin G plus streptomycin always prevented infection when administered as a single dose. A loading dose of 30 mg/kg of phenoxymethyl penicillin (penicillin V) followed by additional 7.5 mg/kg doses for 48 h proved to be the only successful prophylactic program that could be given orally to man. Cefazolin alone or with streptomycin in multiple doses was also an effective alternative to penicillin or penicillin derivatives. Erythromycin uniformly failed to protect animals from bacterial endocarditis but showed greater prophylactic efficacy when a low inoculum of streptococci was used.  (+info)

Update: Interim recommendations for antimicrobial prophylaxis for children and breastfeeding mothers and treatment of children with anthrax. (6/87)

Ciprofloxacin or doxycycline is recommended for antimicrobial prophylaxis and treatment of adults and children with Bacillus anthracis infection associated with the recent bioterrorist attacks in the United States. Amoxicillin is an option for antimicrobial prophylaxis for children and pregnant women and to complete treatment of cutaneous disease when B. anthracis is susceptible to penicillin, as is the case in the recent attacks. Use of ciprofloxacin or doxycycline might be associated with adverse effects in children, and liquid formulations of these drugs are not widely available. This notice provides further information about prophylaxis and treatment of children and breastfeeding mothers, including the use of amoxicillin.  (+info)

Tabes dorsalis with sudden onset of paraplegia. (7/87)

A case is presented of tabes dorsalis with spinal gumma producing collapse of the L5 vertebra followed by paraplegia.  (+info)

Antimicrobial therapy for bacillus anthracis-induced polymicrobial infection in (60)Co gamma-irradiated mice. (8/87)

Challenge with both nonlethal ionizing radiation and toxigenic Bacillus anthracis spores increases the rate of mortality from a mixed bacterial infection. If biological weapons, such as B. anthracis spores, and nuclear weapons were used together, casualties could be more severe than they would be from the use of either weapon alone. We previously discovered that a polymicrobial infection developed in B6D2F(1)/J mice after nonlethal (7-Gy) (60)Co gamma irradiation and intratracheal challenge with B. anthracis Sterne spores 4 days after irradiation. In this present study, we investigated the survival of mice and the response of the polymicrobial infection during the course of antimicrobial therapy with penicillin G procaine, ofloxacin, trovafloxacin, or gatifloxacin. Survival was prolonged, but not ensured, when the mice were treated with either broad-spectrum ofloxacin or narrow-spectrum penicillin G for 7 days beginning 6 or 24 h after challenge. Survival was not prolonged when therapy was delayed more than 24 h after challenge. When these two antimicrobial agents were given for 21 days, the survival rate was increased from 0% for the controls to 38 to 63% after therapy. Therapy with trovafloxacin or gatifloxacin reduced the incidence of mixed infection and improved the rate of survival to 95% (trovafloxacin) or 79% (gatifloxacin), whereas the rate of survival for the controls was 5%. We conclude that the mixed infection induced by B. anthracis in irradiated mice complicates effective therapy with a single antimicrobial agent. To limit mortality following nonlethal irradiation and challenge with B. anthracis spores, antimicrobial therapy needs to be initiated within a few hours after challenge and continued for up to 21 days.  (+info)