Efficacité du traitement de la dysenterie bacillaire par loméfloxacine chez des réfugiés au Nord-Zaïre

During the summer of 1994, there was a deadly multiresistant bacillare dysentery (Shigella dysenteriae type 1) related blood diarrhea epidemic amongst Rwandese refugees in the Goma area of north Zaire. A randomized double blind study of three treatment modalities was carried out in order to assess the efficacy of a two days lomefloxacine treatment. 45 patients were included in the study; 4 were excluded during the course of the study. Treatment efficacy was assessed on the fifth day by clinical and bacteriological criteria. Stool sterilization was obtained on the fifth day for all patients, whatever the treatment modality. There was no significant difference for efficacy based on clinical between the three treatment groups (p = 0,3). Total circulating bacterial mass and theoretical number of resistant bacterial strains were reduced by the adopted strategy, which allowed to increase the number of the adequately treated subjects, by increasing compliance and accessibility to treatment.