Comparative effectiveness of rifampicin for parenteral administration and internal dose in the treatment of experimental plague in albino mice

: The therapeutic effects of parenteral and oral rifampicins were studied comparatively in a model of experimental plague of albino mice infected subcutaneously and by aerosol. The study showed that in a dose of 25 mg/kg rifampicin was highly efficient in the treatment of the albino mice with experimental glandular plague when the drug was administered either parenterally or orally for 7 days (100-percent survival). The parenteral rifampicin was advantageous when used in lower doses (6.25-12.5 mg/kg) or for a shorter period (3-5 days): 70-100-percent survival against not more than 30 per cent with the oral administration of the drug. It was especially evident when the animals were infected by aerosol. The results made it possible to recommend rifampicin injections in the treatment of the most severe forms of pneumonic plague.