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A Modular Workflow for Quantitative, Structural and Functional Analysis of Leptospira Biofilms
Published on: December 19, 2025
WITHDRAWN. Antibiotics for treating leptospirosis.
Fábio Guidugli1, Aldemar A Castro, Alvaro N Atallah
1Brazilian Cochrane Centre, Rua Pedro de Toledo, 598, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil, 04039-001.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|January 22, 2010
Summary
Antibiotics may effectively treat leptospirosis, reducing prolonged hospital stays and leptospiruria compared to placebo. However, evidence quality is limited, suggesting penicillin might be beneficial.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Leptospirosis is a severe zoonotic disease with a significant mortality rate.
- Penicillin is a common treatment for leptospirosis in clinical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of antibiotic treatment for leptospirosis.
- To compare antibiotic regimens against placebo or other antibiotics.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of randomized clinical trials on antibiotic use for leptospirosis.
- Data extraction and quality assessment by two independent reviewers.
- Random effects model used for analysis.
Main Results:
- Antibiotics significantly reduced prolonged hospital stays (NNT=3) and leptospiruria (NNT=2) compared to placebo.
- Mortality showed a non-significant trend towards reduction with antibiotics.
- Fever resolution and overall hospital stay duration showed no significant differences.
Conclusions:
- Evidence for antibiotic treatment of leptospirosis is limited due to trial quality concerns.
- Antibiotics, particularly penicillin, show potential benefits in treating leptospirosis.
- Further high-quality trials are needed to establish definitive treatment guidelines.
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