Quinolone-Resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae; The Beginning of the End? Report of Quinolone-Resistant Isolates and Surveillance in the Southwestern United States, 1989 to 1997

• Published in: Sexually transmitted diseases 1998-11, Vol.25 (10), p.522-526
• Main Authors: EHRET, JOSEPHINE M., JUDSON, FRANKLYN N.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Anti-Infective Agents - pharmacology; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the genital system; Biological and medical sciences; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Fluoroquinolones; Gonorrhea - epidemiology; Gonorrhea - microbiology; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Neisseria gonorrhoeae - drug effects; Neisseria gonorrhoeae - isolation & purification; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Southwestern United States - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0148-5717; 1537-4521
• DOI: 10.1097/00007435-199811000-00005

Background: Fluoroquinolones are one of the most widely used treatments for gonorrhoeae. Changes in the susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to these agents may threaten their use. Goal of this study: To report several resistant strains (>1 mcg/ml) isolated in the western United States and to evaluate the prevalence of strains with reduced susceptibility (ofloxacin 0.25 mcg/ml, ciprofloxacin 0.06 mcg/ml). Study Design: The microbiology and epidemiology of three resistant strains were characterized and 12,761 other strains were evaluated for fluoroquinolone susceptibility as part of the Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Results: Fluoroquinolone-resistant strains may appear sporadically. The prevalence of isolates with reduced susceptibility to fluoroquinolones remains low in the Southwest region of the United States. Conclusions: Continued active surveillance is needed to detect and control the spread of quinolone-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae.