The in Vitro and in Vivo Activity of Streptomycin Against Hemophilus pertussis

Abstract

Streptomycin exhibited in vitro bacteriostatic activity against H. pertussis at a concentration of 3 y per ml. and was bactericidal at 15 y per ml. Intracerebral infection of mice with 40,000 organisms and in-traperit. administration of 0.5 mg. of streptomycin, in 4 divided doses, each day for 5 days resulted in an av. survival time approx. twice that of the controls, but an ultimate mortality of 90% of the animals. In another expt., infection with 5,000 organisms and daily treatment with 2 mg. of streptomycin, in divided doses, each day for 10 days protected 50% of the mice. The mean survival time for those that died was 22 days as compared with 5.5 days for the controls. Cultures of H. pertussis were isolated from all animals dying in these expts. Animals sacrificed 30 days after infection yielded no positive culture. Further investigations of the use of streptomycin in the therapy of H. pertussis infection are suggested.