Antimicrobial resistance in gonococci, WHO Western Pacific Region, 1995

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme tested the susceptibility of about 7,000 isolates to a core group of antibiotics in 16 focal settings in 1995. Resistance to the quinolone antibiotics, which had increased significantly since 1992, was again widespread. Twelve of the 14 centres noted some quinolone-resistant gonococci with particularly high rates being observed in China, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Japan. High rates of resistance to the penicillin group were also common throughout the region. In contrast, resistance to spectinomycin and later generation cephalosporins was infrequent or absent. There was significant geographic variation in the rates of high level tetracycline resistance,but this changed little in 1995 from the distribution seen in earlier years. These results indicate that gonococcal infections in the WHO Western Pacific Region are becoming more difficult and more expensive to treat. Comm Dis Intell 1996;20:425-428.