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Evaluating hygromycin A's potential to reduce Lyme disease by targeting white-footed mice.

Efforts to curb Lyme disease often focus on preventing human exposure to ticks, but another strategy involves interrupting the bacteria's natural cycle between wild mice and ticks. In a new study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, researchers evaluated the safety and effectiveness of the antibiotic hygromycin A to treat Lyme disease infection in white-footed mice, the type of mouse that most often carries and spreads Lyme bacteria to ticks.  

The study found that high, single doses of hygromycin A, delivered either directly to their mouths or through medicated food, were able to clear the infection in many mice and significantly reduce transmission of Lyme bacteria to ticks. However, the mice didn’t consistently eat the treated food, especially when their usual food was available, which could make it challenging to apply this approach in the wild. 

While the results are encouraging, they are an early step. Additional research is needed to develop better food formulations, assess safety over time, and perform field studies to determine effectiveness in wild rodent populations. The rediscovery and initial investigation of hygromycin A as a narrow-spectrum antibiotic for Lyme disease was supported in part by GLA, helping to set the stage for ongoing studies like this one. 

At this time, hygromycin A is not approved or available for patient use. While this study explores its potential to reduce Lyme disease in wild mice, a separate Phase I clinical trial led by Flightpath Biosciences is currently underway to evaluate safety in humans. These parallel efforts aim to better understand hygromycin A’s role both in nature and clinical settings. 

Publication: You SS, Shrestha M, Bourgeois JS, Clendenen LH, Leimer N, Lewis K, Telford SR, Hu LT. Hygromycin A treatment of Borrelia burgdorferi-infected Peromyscus leucopus suggests potential as a reservoir-targeted antibiotic. J Infect Dis. 2025 Jul 4 doi:10.1093/infdis/jiaf363 

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GLA Contributor

Cara DeAngelis, Ph.D.

GLA Contributor

Director of Research

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