tetracycline and Amebiasis

Topics: Amebiasis; Animals; Antibodies; Babesiosis; Chloroquine; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Giardiasis; Humans; Leishmaniasis; Malaria; Mefloquine; Pneumocystis; Pneumonia, Pneumocystis; Primaquine; Protozoan Infections; Pyrimethamine; Quinine; Quinolines; Serologic Tests; Sulfadoxine; Tetracycline; Toxoplasmosis; Trypanosomiasis

Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis is a fulminant and rapidly fatal diseases which principally affects children and young adults. The causative organism is Naegleria fowleri, an amoebo-flagellate found in most soil and freshwater habitats. The portal of entry is the nasopharynx from which the amoeba makes its way into the brain by penetration of the olfactory mucosa and cribriform plate. Diagnosis should be suspected in all cases of purulent meningitis and meningoencephalitis in which bacteria are not evident in the cerebrospinal fluid. Diagnosis can be made by microscopic examination of a fresh specimen of cerebrospinal fluid, or a specimen strained with Wright's or Gram's stain. Combination chemotherapy with amphotericin B and tetracycline, or amphotericin B and rifamycin, by intravenous, intrathecal, and when possible, intraventricular instillation, may offer some hope of success. Preventive measures include constant surveillance of domestic water supplies and swimming pools for amoebic contamination, and education of the public to avoid swimming in contaminated areas.

Topics: Amebiasis; Amphotericin B; Humans; Meningoencephalitis; Tetracycline

Acanthamoeba culbertsoni isolated from a water sample of El-Mahmoudia canal in Alexandria, was orally inoculated into a mouse model (200-400 amoebae/mouse) under different conditions. One week postinfection (P.I.), 20% of infected normoacidic mice and all animals received cimetidine or tetracycline prior to infection passed the parasite in their stools. One month P.I., 70% of cimetidine and 100% of tetracycline pretreated mice showed marked erosion in the intestinal mucosa and areas of necrosis with congestion in the brains, with trophozoites and cysts in both tissues. It is concluded that, normoacidic mice may be simply acting as paratenic hosts. In case of hypoacidity or altered normal flora, the intestinal tract was invaded by amoebae representing a new portal of entry for CNS infection.

Topics: Acanthamoeba; Administration, Oral; Amebiasis; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Ulcer Agents; Brain; Cimetidine; Fresh Water; Intestinal Mucosa; Mice; Tetracycline

Topics: Amebiasis; Amphotericin B; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Male; Meningoencephalitis; Mice; Rifampin; Tetracycline

Topics: Adult; Amebiasis; Dientamoebiasis; Humans; Male; Tetracycline

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Amebiasis; Amebicides; Child; Chloroquine; Drug Combinations; Entamoebiasis; Female; Humans; Iodoquinol; Male; Protozoan Infections; Tetracycline

Topics: Amebiasis; Amphotericin B; Animals; Drug Synergism; Drug Therapy, Combination; Male; Meningoencephalitis; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Tetracycline; Time Factors

The efficacy of tetracycline and amphotericin B in the treatment of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis was studied by means of a mouse model. The results showed marked synergism between these two drugs. Mice who recieved 50 microgram amphotericin B daily succumbed to the infection with only 28.6% survival compared to 0% in untreated controls. In contrast, survival percentage was increased to 66.7% and 84.6% in mice receiving the combined dosage schedule of 50 microgram amphotericin B with 2 tetracycline, and 50 microgram amphotericin B with 3 mg tetracycline, respectively. The finding of synergism between tetracycline and amphotericin may provide a better means for the treatment of this disease.

Topics: Amebiasis; Amphotericin B; Animals; Drug Synergism; Drug Therapy, Combination; Male; Meningoencephalitis; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Tetracycline

Human infections due to free-living amebas of the genus Acathamoeba have been reported sporadically, occasionally in individuals with underlying diseases. To determine if such infections may be considered opportunistic, groups of laboratory mice were pretreated with either methylprednisolone or tetracycline and inoculated intranasally with 1.075 times 10(4) Acanthamoeba castellanii isolated from a natural fresh water well. Results were compared with controls receiving either drug or amebas alone and with controls receiving saline injections with and without amebas. The mortality rate for those animals receiving methylprednisolone and amebas (50%) was found to be greater than the mortality in ameba controls (10%) (P equal 0.074). Similarly, the mortality rate for animals receiving tetracycline and amebas (60%) was higher than the mortality in the ameba controls (10%) (P equal 0.0286). Precise mechanisms for the increased mortality were unknown but were suspected to be due to the capacity of either corticosteroids or tetracycline to suppress host defenses, particularly those depending on neutrophils. The findings suggest a potentially pathogenic role for naturally occurring Acanthamoeba sp in humans with depressed host immunity.

Topics: Amebiasis; Animals; Male; Methylprednisolone; Mice; Neutrophils; Tetracycline

Topics: Adult; Amebiasis; Amebicides; Child, Preschool; Colonic Diseases; Entamoeba histolytica; Granuloma; Humans; Infant; Intestinal Perforation; Intussusception; Male; Metronidazole; Peritonitis; Skin Diseases, Infectious; Tetracycline

Topics: Acetamides; Amebiasis; Chloroquine; Drug Combinations; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Emetine; Humans; Malaria; Nitroimidazoles; Protective Devices; Pyrimethamine; Sulfadoxine; Tetracycline

Topics: Amebiasis; Humans; Tetracycline

Topics: Amebiasis; Diagnosis, Differential; Emetine; Entamoebiasis; Giardiasis; Humans; Iodoquinol; Liver Abscess, Amebic; Metronidazole; Quinacrine; Strongyloidiasis; Tetracycline; Thiabendazole

An epizootic of reptilian amebiasis seems to have caused the death of 15 to 16 large and valuable captive snakes (boas, pythons, and anacondas) occupying one of 5 large display dioramas in the Steinhart Aquarium of the California Academy of Science, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Subsequent review of previous snake deaths in the colony indicated that of 464 snakes that had died since early 1969, 89 snakes had intestinal or hepatic lesions, and 80 of these snakes had pathologic features which involved severe intestinal ulceration, hemorrhage, and massive enteritis, with or without hepatic necrosis and destruction, condition compatible with Entamoeba invadens infection. The present epizootic began in November, 1972, with the death by acute enteritis of a red-tailed boa constrictor (Boa constrictor amarali) and was followed by the loss of 15 other large boids and pythonids. The affected snakes became immobile, refused to feed, and began to die 10 weeks after the death of the red-tailed boa. Seven boa constrictors, 4 pythons, and 4 anacondas from the same diorama died during the ensuing 10 weeks. Entamoeba invadens trophozoites were identified in the stool of the remaining living snake, a 3-m boa constrictor, and in the liver and the intestinal tissue of 1 of the dead boas examined microscopically. The parasite was also found in the stool of a giant Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus) that died in the adjacent diorama and in the tissues of a blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua scincoides), separately housed, that died of enteritis during this period. Amebic cysts were recovered from turtle and alligator fecal samples taken from a central "swamp," or reservoir, draining the dioramas, water that is returned to the snake display areas after passage through a biological sand-gravel filter and ultraviolet radiation exposure. Cultures from these stools were positive and proved lethal to an experimentally infected boa constrictor. Treatment of the surviving snake in the affected diorama with metronidazole at the dose rate of 275 mg/kg proved rapidly effective; toxicosis was not observed. Other snakes and lizards suspected of having the infection were similarly treated and returned to normal behavior and feeding patterns. Epidemiologic considerations review the probable mode of introduction and spread of this highly lethal snake pathogen and recommendations are made for avoiding infection, prophylactic treatment, and handling of similar epizootics when they do occur

Topics: Amebiasis; Animals; Animals, Zoo; Emetine; Entamoebiasis; Enteritis; Gastroenteritis; Inflammation; Intestines; Kidney; Liver; Metronidazole; Necrosis; Snakes; Tetracycline

Topics: Amebiasis; Diarrhea; Entamoeba histolytica; Humans; India; Intestinal Absorption; Metronidazole; Tetracycline; Travel

Topics: Adolescent; Amebiasis; Dysentery, Amebic; Dysentery, Bacillary; Entamoeba histolytica; Hemagglutination Tests; Humans; Iodoquinol; Male; Shigella flexneri; Tetracycline

Topics: Amebiasis; Amebicides; Amoeba; Animals; Anthelmintics; Antimony; Antiprotozoal Agents; Chloroquine; Clioquinol; Cricetinae; Dysentery, Bacillary; Emetine; Enterobacteriaceae Infections; Furazolidone; Imidazoles; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Liver Abscess, Amebic; Metronidazole; Mice; Quinacrine; Salmonella Infections; Sulfonamides; Sulfones; Tartrates; Tetracycline; Thiazoles; Trichomonas Infections

Topics: Acute Disease; Adult; Amebiasis; Biopsy; Chloroquine; Complement Fixation Tests; Diarrhea; Dysentery, Amebic; Humans; Iodoquinol; Liver; Male; Military Medicine; Pain; Tetracycline; United States; Vietnam

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Amebiasis; Child; Colitis; Colitis, Ulcerative; Dysentery, Amebic; Emetine; Empyema; Female; Hemagglutination Tests; Humans; Hypokalemia; Indians, North American; Liver Abscess, Amebic; Male; Middle Aged; Saskatchewan; Serum Albumin; Sex Factors; Sigmoidoscopy; Tetracycline

Topics: Amebiasis; Amebicides; Emetine; Humans; Paromomycin; Quinolines; Tetracycline

Topics: Amebiasis; Chloroquine; Chronic Disease; Humans; Iodoquinol; Tetracycline

Topics: Africa; Africa, Western; Amebiasis; Ascariasis; Child; Drug Therapy; Exudates and Transudates; Humans; Infant; Infant Mortality; Liver Abscess; Liver Abscess, Amebic; Pericarditis; Pericardium; Suppuration; Tetracycline

Topics: Abscess; Amebiasis; Black People; Bronchography; Bronchoscopy; Chloroquine; Dysentery, Amebic; Emetine; Entamoeba histolytica; Humans; Iodoquinol; Liver Abscess; Liver Abscess, Amebic; Lung Abscess; Lung Diseases, Parasitic; Pathology; Penicillins; Pneumonectomy; Pneumoperitoneum; Pneumoperitoneum, Artificial; Streptomycin; Tetracycline

Topics: Amebiasis; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antibiotics, Antitubercular; Drug Therapy; Dysentery; Dysentery, Amebic; Humans; Kanamycin; Paromomycin; Tetracycline

Topics: Amebiasis; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Entamoeba histolytica; Humans; Tetracycline

Topics: Amebiasis; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Colitis; Dysentery, Amebic; Entamoebiasis; Oleandomycin; Oxytetracycline; Protein Synthesis Inhibitors; Tetracycline

Topics: Amebiasis; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Dysentery, Amebic; Humans; Iodoquinol; Quinolines; Tetracycline

Topics: Amebiasis; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antibiotics, Antitubercular; Dysentery, Amebic; Oleandomycin; Rats; Tetracycline

Topics: Amebiasis; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antibiotics, Antitubercular; Dysentery, Amebic; Oleandomycin; Protein Synthesis Inhibitors; Tetracycline

Topics: Amebiasis; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Dysentery, Amebic; Intestines; Oxytetracycline; Tetracycline

Topics: Amebiasis; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Antibiotics, Antitubercular; Dysentery, Amebic; Protein Synthesis Inhibitors; Puromycin; Tetracycline

Topics: Amebiasis; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Dysentery, Amebic; Intestines; Tetracycline

Topics: Amebiasis; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cyclohexanes; Dysentery, Amebic; Erythromycin; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; Sesquiterpenes; Tetracycline

Topics: Amebiasis; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Chlortetracycline; Cyclohexanes; Dysentery, Amebic; Erythromycin; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; Neomycin; Oxytetracycline; Sesquiterpenes; Tetracycline

Topics: Amebiasis; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Dysentery, Amebic; Humans; Intestines; Protein Synthesis Inhibitors; Tetracycline