Erythromycin has an established role in the treatment of pneumonia due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila. Its use in acute Q fever pneumonia is not established; indeed, erythromycin has been recorded as having no therapeutic effect on the organism.' We report three patients, all acutely ill with subsequently proved Q fever pneumonia, in whom the use of erythromycin was associated with rapid defervescence and relief of symptoms. The fear that erythromycin, used in non-specific atypical pneumonias, will not be effective against Q fever appears to be less tenable.
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Ellis et al. (1982) studied this question.