Science Current Events | Science News | Brightsurf.com
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print Study finds doxycycline effective against filariasis in Southeast Asia

Study finds doxycycline effective against filariasis in Southeast Asia

April 10, 2008

Doxycycline alone is more effective against the most common form of filariasis in Southeast Asia than the standard treatment, with significantly fewer side effects, according to a new study published in the May 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases and currently available online.

Approximately 120 million people worldwide are infected with thread-like parasitic filarial worms causing lymphatic filariasis. This tropical disease, found in regions of Asia, Africa, and Central and South America, is spread by mosquitoes and causes episodes of acute and chronic inflammation, including elephantiasis. The standard treatment has been a combination of diethylcarbamazine and albendazole, which are accompanied by significant side effects in about half of the patients, including fever, headache, dizziness, and enlarged lymph nodes.




Doxycycline works by targeting a symbiotic bacterium, Wolbachia, which live inside the filarial worms. When the bacteria are killed by the antibiotic, then the worms also die. Doxycycline has previously been found to be effective against filariasis caused by the Wuchereria species. However, more than half of the filarial cases in Southeast Asia are caused by the Brugia species. Researchers in Indonesia set out to determine whether doxycycline would be effective against this species as well, with fewer adverse reactions than standard treatment.

The authors treated 161 patients with doxycycline plus placebo, diethylcarbamazine and albendazole plus placebo, or both treatments. After 12 months, 77 percent of the patients given doxycycline plus placebo tested negative for the Brugia parasite, compared to just 27 percent of those given diethylcarbamazine and albendazole plus placebo. Those given both treatments fared best: 87.5 percent tested negative for the parasite.

Nearly 43 percent of patients given diethylcarbamazine and albendazole experienced severe adverse reactions including high fevers. None of the patients given doxycycline had severe reactions. Of those receiving both treatments, about 16 percent had severe reactions.

In addition to offering a safer treatment alternative, the authors said the study demonstrates that the symbiotic Wolbachia bacteria in the parasite are a viable target for further anti-filariasis drug discovery.

Infectious Diseases Society of America



Related Doxycycline Current Events and Doxycycline News Articles Doxycycline Current Events and Doxycycline News RSS Doxycycline Current Events and Doxycycline News RSS
CSHL study shows that some malignant tumors can be shut down after all
Oncologists have had their hands tied because more than half of all human cancers have mutations that disable a protein called p53.

Pre-emptive treatment helped curtail skin toxicity with panitumumab
With a pre-emptive, prophylactic skin regimen, patients who receive panitumumab for treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer may be able to avoid some of the skin-associated toxicities, according to data presented at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in San Francisco.

Combining targeted therapy drugs may treat previously resistant tumors
A team of cancer researchers from several Boston academic medical centers has discovered a potential treatment for a group of tumors that have resisted previous targeted therapy approaches.

Stick with simple antibiotics for pneumonia to avoid super bugs, says researcher
Australian hospitals should avoid prescribing expensive broad-spectrum antibiotics for pneumonia to avoid the development of more drug-resistant super bugs, according to a University of Melbourne study.

A single mechanism for hypertension, insulin resistance and immune suppression
Many of the 75 million Americans with essential hypertension also develop diabetes and other complications in addition to their high blood pressure, and researchers have discovered a common molecular mechanism in a strain of rat that explains why such metabolic disorders arise together in mammals.

Drug prevents dangerous tick diseases
Lyme disease is the blight of countryside users but it may be prevented with a single injection, according to research published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology.

New MIT tool probes brain circuits
Researchers at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT report in the Jan. 24 online edition of Science that they have created a way to see, for the first time, the effect of blocking and unblocking a single neural circuit in a living animal.

Activating protein enhances average lifespan, limits age-related disease in mice
Metabolism researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that although it does not extend maximum lifespan in mice, activating a protein in muscle tissue increases average lifespan and prevents some age-related diseases.

Scripps research scientists develop innovative dual action anthrax vaccine-antitoxin combination
The immune response generated in rats by the new agent protects against lethal toxin exposure after only one injection, and is faster and stronger than any currently available vaccine.

Antibiotic treats lymphoma of the eye
The common antibiotic doxycycline effectively treats a type of lymphoma associated with chlamydia infection.
More Doxycycline Current Events and Doxycycline News Articles
Aqua-Doxy 100mg Doxycycline Antibiotic 100 Capsules

Aqua-Doxy 100mg Doxycycline Antibiotic 100 Capsules
by C&Q Management, LLC

One bottle of Aqua-Doxy 100 capsules. 100 mg USP pharmaceutical grade Doxycycline Hyclate per capsule. Labeled for ornamental fish use.

Bird Biotic (Doxycycline Hyclate) 100mg (100 Tablets)

Bird Biotic (Doxycycline Hyclate) 100mg (100 Tablets)
by Thomas Laboratories

Control of non-specific bacterial infections in pet birds, exotic gamebirds or racing pigeons. Not to be given to birds intended for human consumptions. See label for specific instructions.

Aqua-Doxy 100mg Tablets - 30 Count

Aqua-Doxy 100mg Tablets - 30 Count
by C&Q Management, LLC

One bottle of Aqua-Doxy 30 Tablets. 100 mg USP pharmaceutical grade Doxycycline Hyclate per capsule. What you see is what you get - no generic substitutes. Labeled for ornamental fish use.

Bird Biotic 100ct

Bird Biotic 100ct
by Thomas Laboratories

Doxycycline Hyclate 100mg capsules

Bird Biotic 30ct

Bird Biotic 30ct
by Thomas Laboratories

Doxycycline Hyclate 100mg capsules

Fish Cycline (Tetracycline 250 mg) - 100 Caps

Fish Cycline (Tetracycline 250 mg) - 100 Caps
by THOMAS LABS

Non-prescription tetracycline labeled for fish or aquarium use for the control of common bacterial infections. Each capsule contains 250 mg tetracycline. Directions: Add contents of capsule to aquarium water at the rate of 1 per 10 gals. Repeat in 24 hours. Continue treatment for 5-10 days.

Fish Mox (Amoxicillin 250 mg) - 100 Caps

Fish Mox (Amoxicillin 250 mg) - 100 Caps
by THOMAS LABS

Fish-Mox exerts a bactericidal action on gram positive and some gram negative bacteria. Useful for control of some common bacterial diseases of fish including aeromonas and pseudomonas genera and mysobacterial group (gill diseases, chondrococcus). Add contents of one capsule (250 mg) into aquarium for each 10 gallons of water to be treated. Repeat in 24 hours. It is suggested that a partial water change be made between treatments. While duration of treatment depends on type and severity of infection, it is recommended that extended medication baths continue for a minimum of 5 days & for not more than 10 days. Discontinue treatment if no improvement is noted within 5 days. To remove harmless yellow color, change 20% of water and use charcoal filter until clear.

  Single-Dose Doxycycline for Lyme Prophylaxis.: An article from: Internal Medicine News
by Robert Finn (Author)

This digital document is an article from Internal Medicine News, published by International Medical News Group on August 1, 2001. The length of the article is 708 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Single-Dose Doxycycline for Lyme Prophylaxis.
Author: Robert Finn
Publication: Internal Medicine News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: August 1, 2001
Publisher: International Medical News Group
Volume: 34 Issue: 15 Page: 21

Distributed by Thomson...

  BD BBL Sensi-Disc Susceptibility Test Discs: Doxycycline; 30ug
by BD Diagnostic Systems, Clinical

Susceptibility Test Discs; BBL Sensi-Disc; Antibiotic/Antimicrobial Agent: Doxycycline; 30ug; pack of 10 cartridges; 50 discs per cartridge

Chlamydia (Blaise's Doxycycline Mix)

Chlamydia (Blaise's Doxycycline Mix)
Vincent Blaise (Primary Contributor)



© 2009 BrightSurf.com