Susceptibility of Encephalitozoon cuniculi to several drugs in vitro.

In the light of the increased incidence of human Encephalitozoon infections and the absence of an established treatment protocol, a simple in vitro testing method to compare activities of drugs against Encephalitozoon cuniculi was developed. With this in vitro method, the 50% inhibitory concentrations of fumagillin, thiabendazole, albendazole, oxibendazole, and propamidine isethionate for E. cuniculi in rabbit kidney cells were determined. Itraconazole, toltrazuril, metronidazole, ronidazole, and ganciclovir were ineffective in this testing system.