Antibacterial
It is used in the treatment and prophylaxis of anthrax (caused by Bacillus anthracis).
It is also effective against Yersinia pestis (the infectious agent of bubonic plague), and is prescribed for the treatment of Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. In fact, because doxycycline is one of the few medications shown to be effective in treating Rocky Mountain spotted fever (with the next-best alternative being chloramphenicol), doxycycline is indicated even for use in children for this illness. Otherwise, it is not indicated for use in children under the age of eight years. Doxycycline, like other antibiotics, will not work for colds, influenza, or other viral infections.
When bacteriologic testing indicates appropriate susceptibility to the drug, doxycycline may be used to treat and prevent:
- Escherichia coli infections
- Chlamydia trachomatis infections
- Enterobacter aerogenes (formerly Aerobacter aerogenes) infections
- Lyme disease (Lyme borreliosis complex) (caused by B. burgdorferi)
- Rocky mountain spotted fever
- Folliculitis
- Acne and other inflammatory skin diseases, such as hidradenitis suppurativa
- Shigella species infections
- Acinetobacter species (formerly Mima species and Herellea species) infections
- Respiratory tract infections caused by Haemophilus influenzae
- Respiratory tract and urinary tract infections
- Upper respiratory infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (formerly Diplococcus pneumoniae)
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections
- As combined therapy when treating a patient for Chlamydia trachomatis, because up to 50% of patients will be infected with the beta lactam-resistant strain of this bacterium.
Read more about this topic: Doxycycline