Drug susceptibility of Neisseria isolates from patients attending clinics for sexually transmitted diseases in Addis Ababa.

Sixty eight Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains were isolated from endocervical and urethral discharge of 233 patients attending health centres for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in Addis Ababa, were identified following conventional procedures and tested for susceptibility to penicillin, ampicillin, trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (bactrim), chloramphenicol, erythromycin and kanamycin by the agar disc diffusion technique. Penicillinase producing N. gonorrhoeae (PPNG) were identified using the chromogenic cephalosporin method and comprised 70% of the isolates. Seventy seven per cent, 73%, 64% and 17% of the isolates were found to be resistant to penicillin, ampicillin, bactrim and kanamycin, respectively. However, no resistance to erythromycin and chloramphenicol was observed. Multiple drug resistance was found to be 67%. This is a cause for concern in the control and treatment of gonococci.