Residual brain infection in murine relapsing fever borreliosis can be successfully treated with ceftriaxone

Abstract

Like several other spirochetes, relapsing fever Borrelia can cause persistent infection of the central nervous system (CNS). By treating mice harboring residual Borrelia duttonii brain infection with the bacteriocidal, cell wall inhibiting antibiotic ceftriaxone, bacteria were cleared from the brain. This shows that the residual infection is not latent but actively growing.