Comparative Efficacy of Single-dose Doxycycline Versus Standard 5- Day Amoxicillin Treatment

Methods The investgators conducted a non‐inferiority, open‐label, randomized controlled trial in patients aged > 8 years recruited from dispensaries in the rural area of Niakhar, Senegal. Participants were enrolled based on a body temperature > 37.5°C, as assessed using an electronic axillary thermometer. Febrile patients with a positive malaria test were excluded from the study. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either a single dose of doxycycline (30 mg/kg) or a five‐day course of amoxicillin (20 mg/kg) by a computer‐generated random number sequence. The investgators monitored participants at days 2 and 7 post‐treatment. The primary outcome was cure after 7 days, defined as a body temperature < 37.5°C. The investgators used a non‐inferiority margin of 10%. This trial was approved by the national ethic committees of the Senegalese Ministry of Health in May 2017 (0026/MSAS/DPRS/CNERS, March, 7, 2016).