Prevention of scrub typhus. Prophylactic administration of doxycycline in a randomized double blind trial. 1980

J G Olson, and A L Bourgeois, and R C Fang, and J C Coolbaugh, and D T Dennis

We conducted a prospective randomized double blind study on the effects of doxycycline as a prophylactic antibiotic against scrub typhus. A total of 1,125 military subjects was followed for periods as long as 5 months of exposure in a hyperendemic focus in the Pescadores Islands of Taiwan. Oral 200 mg doses of doxycycline (Vibramycin) or placebo were given once each week throughout the trial. The incidence rate of scrub typhus in the placebo group was 2.5 times greater than that of the group taking doxycycline (P = 0.11). When subjects who failed to comply with scheduled administration of doxycycline were removed from the analysis, the incidence rate of scrub typhus in the control group was five times greater than that in the drug group (P = 0.04). The rates of infection with Rickettsia tsutsugamushi and of sick call reports were the same in experimental and control groups. The drug was well tolerated in pretrial tests and complaints were negligible during the conduct of the trial. Doxycycline appears to be an excellent antibiotic for the prevention of scrub typhus among personnel exposed to high risk of infection with R. tsutsugamushi.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D004305 Dose-Response Relationship, Drug The relationship between the dose of an administered drug and the response of the organism to the drug. Dose Response Relationship, Drug,Dose-Response Relationships, Drug,Drug Dose-Response Relationship,Drug Dose-Response Relationships,Relationship, Drug Dose-Response,Relationships, Drug Dose-Response
D004311 Double-Blind Method A method of studying a drug or procedure in which both the subjects and investigators are kept unaware of who is actually getting which specific treatment. Double-Masked Study,Double-Blind Study,Double-Masked Method,Double Blind Method,Double Blind Study,Double Masked Method,Double Masked Study,Double-Blind Methods,Double-Blind Studies,Double-Masked Methods,Double-Masked Studies,Method, Double-Blind,Method, Double-Masked,Methods, Double-Blind,Methods, Double-Masked,Studies, Double-Blind,Studies, Double-Masked,Study, Double-Blind,Study, Double-Masked
D004318 Doxycycline A synthetic tetracycline derivative with similar antimicrobial activity. 2-Naphthacenecarboxamide, 4-(dimethylamino)-1,4,4a,5,5a,6,11,12a-octahydro-3,5,10,12,12a-pentahydroxy-6-methyl-1,11-dioxo-, (4S-(4alpha,4aalpha,5alpha,5aalpha,6alpha,12aalpha))-,Alpha-6-Deoxyoxytetracycline,Atridox,BMY-28689,BU-3839T,Doryx,Doxycycline Calcium,Doxycycline Calcium Salt (1:2),Doxycycline Hemiethanolate,Doxycycline Hyclate,Doxycycline Monohydrate,Doxycycline Monohydrochloride, 6-epimer,Doxycycline Monohydrochloride, Dihydrate,Doxycycline Phosphate (1:1),Doxycycline-Chinoin,Hydramycin,Oracea,Periostat,Vibra-Tabs,Vibramycin,Vibramycin Novum,Vibravenos,Alpha 6 Deoxyoxytetracycline,BMY 28689,BMY28689,BU 3839T,BU3839T,Doxycycline Chinoin,Doxycycline Monohydrochloride, 6 epimer,Vibra Tabs
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012612 Scrub Typhus An acute infectious disease caused by ORIENTIA TSUTSUGAMUSHI. It is limited to eastern and southeastern Asia, India, northern Australia, and the adjacent islands. Characteristics include the formation of a primary cutaneous lesion at the site of the bite of an infected mite, fever lasting about two weeks, and a maculopapular rash. Tsutsugamushi Disease,Typhus, Scrub,Orientia tsutsugamushi Infection,Tsutsugamushi Fever,Disease, Tsutsugamushi,Diseases, Tsutsugamushi,Fever, Tsutsugamushi,Fevers, Tsutsugamushi,Infection, Orientia tsutsugamushi,Infections, Orientia tsutsugamushi,Orientia tsutsugamushi Infections,Tsutsugamushi Diseases,Tsutsugamushi Fevers
D013624 Taiwan Country in eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China. The capital is Taipei. The alternate country name is Republic of China. Formosa,Republic of China

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