Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Programme annual report, 2012

The Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Programme has continuously monitored antimicrobial resistance in clinical isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from all states and territories since 1981. In 2012, 4,718 clinical isolates of gonococci from public and private sector sources were tested for in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility by standardised methods. Variation in antibiotic susceptibility patterns were reported between jurisdictions and regions. Resistance to the penicillins and quinolones was high in all jurisdictions except the Northern Territory and Tasmania. Penicillin resistance ranged from 21% in Western Australia to 53% in Victoria. Quinolone resistance ranged from 17% in Queensland to 46% in Victoria, and the resistance was mostly high level. Decreased susceptibility to ceftriaxone (MIC 0.06-0.25 mg/L or greater) was found nationally in 4.4% of isolates, an increase from 3.2% in 2011, but lower than in 2010. To date, there has not been an isolate of N. gonorrhoeae with a ceftriaxone MIC value greater than 0.125 mg/L reported in Australia. Azithromycin susceptibility testing was performed in all jurisdictions and resistance ranged from 0.3% in the Northern Territory to 2.7% in Victoria. The highest reported azithromycin MIC value was 16 mg/L and azithromycin resistant gonococci were not detected in the Australian Capital Territory or Tasmania. Nationally, all isolates remained susceptible to spectinomycin.