Susceptibilities of Brucella melitensis isolates to clinafloxacin and four other new fluoroquinolones.

The susceptibilities of 120 clinical isolates of Brucella melitensis and 3 reference strains of the same species to six fluoroquinolones (clinafloxacin, PD 117596, PD 131628, PD 138312, PD 140248, and ciprofloxacin) were examined by agar dilution MIC methodology. Clinafloxacin was the most active compound tested (MIC at which 50% of strains tested were inhibited [MIC50] and MIC90 of 0.06 micrograms/ml). Its level of activity was slightly higher than that of PD 117596 (MIC50 and MIC90 of 0.12 micrograms/ml). PD 131628 and ciprofloxacin were less active than clinafloxacin, with MIC50s ranging from 0.12 to 0.25 micrograms/ml and MIC90s of between 0.25 and 0.5 micrograms/ml for the two compounds. The activity levels of PD 138312 and PD 140248, with MIC50s ranging from 1 to 2 micrograms/ml and MIC90s of 4 to 8 micrograms/ml, were lower than those of the other fluoroquinolones tested.