Determinants of the gonococcal serovar pattern in Edinburgh, Scotland: a multivariate analysis

The geographical and temporal variety of gonococcal serovar patterns are well described but it remains uncertain what characteristics possessed by the organism, or sexual behaviour pattern in the patients, determine the particular serovar pattern in a given area at a given time. This study was designed to assess the relative contribution of various demographic and clinical features of infection to the observed pattern of serovars in Edinburgh between 1990 and 1993. Five hundred and eight isolates were included in a multivariate analysis model to control for potential interactions between variables. Associations were noted between certain serovars and an asymptomatic clinical presentation, method of acquisition and site of infection. Certain physical characteristics of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in conjunction with the sexual behaviour patterns of patients are partially responsible for observed serovar patterns but more detailed analysis requires further sub-classification of serovars using molecular techniques.