Ceftriaxone in the treatment of acute and subacute human brucellosis

A total of 14 adults were diagnosed as having brucellosis by clinical means, serology and blood culture. The first patient to be treated failed to respond to 2 g/day intravenous ceftriaxone, therefore, subsequent patients were treated intravenously, twice daily with 2 g ceftriaxone. Immediate clinical response was seen in nine (69.2%) of the patients. Therapy was changed to tetracycline plus streptomycin in the remaining four (30.8%) patients because of lack of response after 5 days. It is concluded that ceftriaxone may be considered a second-line therapy for brucellosis in patients who cannot be given conventional therapy. Further evaluation of ceftriaxone, either alone or preferably in combination with streptomycin or rifampicin on a larger scale, is indicated.