Researchers in Madagascar have reported the first randomised controlled trial for the treatment of bubonic plague. Published in The New England Journal of Medicine , the study found that “oral ciprofloxacin monotherapy for 10 days was non-inferior to an aminoglycoside-ciprofloxacin sequential combination for the treatment of patients with bubonic plague.”

The bubonic plague remains endemic to Madagascar, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Peru. In Madagascar, cases occur almost every year during the epidemic season from September to April.

Current treatment guidelines are based on weak evidence, and until now, no randomised controlled trial has directly compared therapeutic options.

According to Madagascar’s national guideline, adults are treated with 3 days of injectable aminogl

See Full Page