Changes in penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated in London

Abstract

Summary. To investigate changes in the gonococcal population over time, the plasmid content, serotype and auxotype have been determined for strains of penicillinaseproducing Neisseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG)

Penicillinase producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae from St Thomas' Hospital 1976-1990--the first fifteen years.

“…Of the 64 PPNG resistant to more than one antibiotic, 94% carried the 4-4 MDa plasmid and the four PPNG with spectinomycin MICs of 512 mg/l all carried this plasmid: this was also reported by Ison, Gedney et.al 15 and Zenilman et al 17 A higher percentage of these isolates were also proline requiring, an observation also made by van Klingeren et al 14 Seventy-one percent of PPNG with the 4-4 MDa plasmid belonged to serogroup 1B whereas only 32% of those with the 3.2 MDa plasmid belonged to this serogroup, a similar relationship between plasmid type and serogroup to that seen by Ison et al 20 Temporal analyses of the distribution of the A/S classes show that the total population of PPNG isolates is formed of a heterogeneous mixture, in which certain A/S classes appear, disappear and frequently re-emerge. Others were present throughout in small numbers.…”