ANTIMICROBIAL SENSITIVITY OF NEISSERIA GONORRHOEA IN GONDAR, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Objeciives: To determine the antimicrobial wsceptibility pattern of N ~ i s s e ~ gonorrheae
and to obtain epidemiological information on resistance of Neisseriu gonorrheae in Gondar
town.
Design: A cross sectional study.
Setting: Gondar Health Centre.
Subjects: One hundred and seventy eight male paticnts preserhkd with urethral discharge
and who volunteered to participate in the study were included.
Results: A total of 142 strains of N. gonorrhoeae were isolated from I68 cultures received. The
sensitivity of gonococcal isolates ranges from 98.6% to chloramphetiicvl tu 7.7% to
cotrimoxazole. Multiple drag resistance was reported in 87.5% of isolates and only four
isolates were sensitive to all antibiotics. One strain of N. gonorrheae was resistant to as many
as eight antibiotics (lrtrauycline, penicillin, ampicillin, ksnamicin, methicilin. uarbcnicillin,
crltrirnoxazole and ceftriaxone). More than eighty five per cent of the isotated strains were
penicillinase-producing Neisseria gunorrltoene (PPN G).
Conclusion: Gonococcal resistance is a significant public health problem in Gondar region
and the drugs recommended for treatment of gonococcal cases by the national sexually
transmitted diwdsm (STDs) control programme need to be revised.