Treatment of Bovine Leptospirosis with Enrofloxacin HCl 2H2O (Enro-C): A Clinical Trial

Abstract

Pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics ratios of enrofloxacin HCl-2H2O (enro-C) in cows to treat bovine leptospirosis prompted this clinical trial in the highlands (HL) and the tropics (TL) in Mexico. In the HL, 111 Holstein-Friesian cows were included and 38 F1 Zebu–Holstein/Friesians in the TL. Affected cows were randomly divided into two treatment groups, both in the HL and TL. PCR and MAT tests were performed before and after treatment. Treatments in both groups were administered for 5 d with either IM injections of enro-C or streptomycin/penicillin-G. Reproductive performance data were gathered for 90 d. The cows treated with enro-C became PCR negative: 87.5% and 78.94% on day 5, 92.85% and 94.73% on day 28 (in the HL and TL, respectively). For streptomycin/penicillin-G, the same values were 65.45% and 70.90% on day 5, and 73.68% twice on day 28 in the HL and TL, respectively. In both groups and geographical settings, the MAT titers dropped on day 28 but remained above reference values usually considered negative. The gestation rates were: 86.53% and 79.06% and 88.88% and 87.5% for the HL and TL, either with enro-C or streptomycin/penicillin-G, respectively. This is the first report of successful treatment with a fluoroquinolone derivative in treating bovine leptospirosis with a high bacteriological cure rate.

Bovine Genital Leptospirosis: An Update of This Important Reproductive Disease

“…The treatment with antimicrobials is performed to eliminate the carrier status of the animals diagnosed with leptospiral infection. It is recommended that the treatment of positive animals must be performed at the early beginning of the control program, to reduce the shedding of leptospirosis in the body fluids and avoid new infections in animals of the same herd [9,65]. The administration of antimicrobials is also recommended as one of the quarantine procedures for newly arrived animals in the herd [66].…”

“…However, although streptomycin protocols have demonstrated efficiency in treating carriers, the prohibition of the use of this drug in the USA and Australia is a critical point [69]. Studies involving other antimicrobial drugs, such as enrofloxacin [65], oxytetracycline, and ceftiofur [69] have demonstrated promising results regarding the treatment of renal carriers but have never been tested for genital colonization. The treatment of genital colonization with streptomycin requires a great quantity of the drug, for three consecutive days [68], besides the withdrawal period with milk discard, increasing the costs [64].…”