Auxotyping of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated in Taiwan

One hundred and seventy eight out of 319 clinical isolates (55.8%) of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated in Taiwan were identified as penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Two hundred and ninety six isolates were subdivided into 24 distinct auxotypes. The majority of gonococci tested were non-requiring (43.6%) and proline-dependent (43.2%). No arginine-hypoxanthine-uracil requiring strain was obtained in this study. Only one arginine-requiring strain was obtained from 296 isolates. Different auxotypes of gonococci were isolated from the same patient who had contracted gonorrhea. Each of 17 patients was infected by at least two different auxotypes of gonococci.