Plasmid profile of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Nigeria and efficacy of spectinomycin in treating gonorrhoea.

Abstract

SUMMARY The prevalence of penicillinase producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG) strains has been steadily rising in Nigeria since 1979, and now about 80% ofthe strains of gonococci isolated in Ibadan are found to produce penicillinase. Spectinomycin has consequently become widely used in treating these infections. To ascertain the emergence of spectinomycin resistance, this study was undertaken to assess the in vivo susceptibilities of gonococcal strains to spectinomycin and other common antibiotics. Five hundred and twenty seven isolates were tested, of which 452 (85.5%) were PPNG strains. None of the strains were found to be resistant to 100 ,ug spectinomycin discs in vitro, whereas all 370 patients treated with the antibiotic were bacteriologically cured. Plasmid analysis shows that both "Asian" and "African" PPNG types are circulating in Nigeria. For the moment spectinomycin remains highly effective in treating gonococcal infections in west Africa.

The dominance of a multiresistant strain of Neisseria gonorrhoeae among prostitutes and STD patients in The Gambia.

“…We also identified only the 3.2 MDa penicillinase encoding plasmid in this gonococcal population whereas both the 3.2 MDa and 4.4 MDa plasmids have been reported-previously3 6 The finding of a single A/S class, NR/IB-7, dominant in a gonococcal population is unusual. In the gonococcal population from our clinic in London NR/IB-7 isolates only account for 0.7% (22/3000) of the total population tested between 1988-91 (unpublished results).…”

Plasmid content, auxotype and protein-I serovar of gonococci isolated in the Gambia

“…It should be mentioned, however, that this problem is not unique to this study. For example, in four recent studies in which gonococci isolated in Africa were transported (either lyophilized or frozen) to laboratories in Belgium, England or the USA (two studies), the proportions of strains which survived were 34% (Bogaerts et al 1986), 55% (Osoba et al 1987), 62 % (Bello et ai. 1985) and 63 % respectively.…”

Detection of a novel ?cryptic? plasmid of about 7.8 MDal in a non-penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolate from Munich

“…For years it was generally accepted that 96% of all gonococcal isolates, regardless of their susceptibility to penicillin, harbour a phenotypically cryptic (C-) plasmid of about 2.6 MDal (15,17). In addition, a large conjugative plasmid of about 24.5 MDal has been identified in some strains (17).…”