Isolation of Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria catarrhalis from the genitourinary tract and anal canal.

During a 12-month period 285 isolates of Neisseria species, other than Neisseria gonorrhoeae, were cultured from patients attending the Department of Venereology, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh. There were eight patients in whom genitourinary or rectal isolates of Neisseria meningitidis or Neisseria catarrhalis were found. Differences between data from our series and from previous reports are discussed with particular regard to sites routinely cultured in female patients. We also report in vitro inhibition of N. gonorrhoeae by an isolate of N. meningitidis cultured from the cerivx of a patient.