Doxycycline-rifampin versus doxycycline-streptomycin in treatment of human brucellosis due to Brucella melitensis

Brucellosis is a common zoonosis in many parts of the world; the best regimen for the treatment of brucellosis has not been clearly determined. We have carried out a multicenter, open, controlled trial in five general hospitals in Spain to compare the efficacy and safety of doxycycline and rifampin (DR) versus doxycycline and streptomycin (DS) for the treatment of human brucellosis. The study included 194 ambulatory or hospitalized patients with acute brucellosis, without endocarditis or neurobrucellosis. The diagnostic criterion was isolation of Brucella species from blood or other tissues (n = 120) or a standard tube agglutination titer of 1/160 or more for anti-Brucella antibodies with compatible clinical findings (n = 74). Patients were randomly assigned to receive either 100 mg of doxycycline twice daily plus rifampin, 900 mg/day, in a single morning dose for 45 days (DR group) or the same dose of doxycycline for 45 days plus streptomycin, 1 g/day, intramuscularly for 14 days (DS group). A lack of therapeutic efficacy developed in 8 of the 100 patients in the DR group (8%) and in 2 of the 94 patients in the DS group (2%) (P = 0.10). Relapses occurred in 16 of the 100 patients in the DR group (16%) but in only 5 of the 94 patients in the DS group (5.3%) (P = 0.02). When relapse was considered in combination with initial lack of efficacy, 26 patients in the DR group (24%) and 7 patients in the DS group (7.45%) failed to respond to therapy (P = 0.0016). In general, therapy was well tolerated, and only four patients (4%) in the DR group and two (2%) in the DS group had episodes of adverse effects necessitating discontinuation of treatment (P > 0.2). We conclude that a doxycycline-and-rifampin regimen is less effective than the doxycycline-and-streptomycin regimen in patients with acute brucellosis.