What minimum duration is often required for antibiotic courses targeting skeletal or joint brucellosis such as spondylitis?
Answer
Three to six months
Focal infections where the bacteria have settled into deep tissue structures like bones and joints—such as spondylitis or sacroiliitis—require substantially more aggressive and prolonged antibiotic exposure than uncomplicated systemic illness. Protocols for these skeletal involvements necessitate long-term antibiotic courses to ensure deep penetration and sustained bactericidal levels over time. The specified minimum duration for achieving a cure in these difficult-to-treat focal sites is typically three to six months, demonstrating the persistence required to eliminate the infection once it has seeded into these structural locations.

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