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Efficacy of Rifampin in Treatment of Meningococcal Carriers

1969; Massachusetts Medical Society; Volume: 281; Issue: 12 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1056/nejm196909182811203

1533-4406

William B. Deal, Eugene Sanders,

Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria

Since the emergence of sulfadiazine resistance among meningococci, no antimicrobial agent has been uniformly effective in eradication of these micro-organisms from carriers. Rifampin, a new antibacterial agent with a high degree of activity against meningococcal growth in vitro, was evaluated in a double blind-placebo study in known meningococcal carriers. Administration of 600 mg daily for four days reduced the carrier rate by 93.3 per cent, and this effect was sustained for four weeks. During the study period, the carrier rate among subjects receiving placebo fell only 13.4 per cent. Rifampin appears superior to currently available antimicrobial agents in elimination of meningococci from known carriers.