Canine leishmaniosis: in vitro efficacy of miltefosine and marbofloxacin alone or in combination with allopurinol against clinical strains of Leishmania infantum

Despite the availability of different therapeutic options, canine visceral leishmaniosis (CVL) remains a challenging disease to treat. Recently miltefosine has been registered for use in dogs, and different studies have demonstrated its leishmanicidal effect. Moreover, it has been suggested that fluoroquinolones, compared to standard chemotherapeutic agents, could be an effective and pragmatic alternative to treat CVL. The efficacy of miltefosine and marbofloxacin alone or in combination with allopurinol against clinical strains of Leishmania infantum was assessed in vitro by incubating increasing concentrations of the drugs with a standard parasite inoculum. Miltefosine was significantly more efficacious than marbofloxacin (P<0.05) against the two strains of L. infantum either alone or in combination with allopurinol. Both drugs were significantly (P<0.05) more efficacious when associated with allopurinol than alone.