Assessing a New Antibiotic for Ear Infections

Studies show that the most commonly isolated bacterial pathogens in canine ear infections are two species of Staphylococcus. Researchers have previously shown that fosmidomycin, an antibiotic and antimalarial agent, is effective against bacteria of these species under laboratory conditions, and well tolerated in a small subset of dogs. Using this information, the team will conduct a clinical trial to assess the effectiveness and safety of fosmidomycin in client-owned dogs diagnosed with bacterial ear infections. Fosmidomycin will be evaluated against an established antibiotic for ear infections in dogs; half of the ears will be randomly assigned to treatment with a solution of the established antibiotic, and the other half will be randomly assigned to treatment with a solution of fosmidomycin. Researchers hope findings will lay the groundwork for further studies of fosmidomycin as a therapy for staphylococcal infections in companion animals, including ear infections in dogs.