Annual report of the Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Programme, 2002

The Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Programme (AGSP) monitors the antibiotic susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated in all states and territories. In 2002 the in vitro susceptibility of 3,861 isolates of gonococci from public and private sector sources was determined by standardised methods. Antibiotic susceptibility patterns again varied considerably between jurisdictions and regions. Resistance to the penicillins nationally was at 18 per cent but ranged up to 22 per cent in larger urban centres. Quinolone resistance in gonococci (QRNG) remained widespread. Nationally 10 per cent of all isolates were QRNG, and most of this resistance was at high MIC levels. All isolates remained sensitive to spectinomycin. A small number of isolates demonstrated some decreased susceptibility to ceftriaxone (MIC 0.06 mg/L or more) and were concentrated in New South Wales. Patterns of infection were unaltered from previous years. A high proportion of gonococci examined in larger urban centres were from male patients and rectal and pharyngeal isolates were common. In other centres and in rural Australia the male to female ratio of cases was lower, and most isolates were from the genital tract.