Agar dilution method for susceptibility testing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

The antibiotic susceptibilities of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates obtained from patients attending a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases in Tucumán, Argentina, were determined by the agar dilution method (MIC). 3.5% of the isolates produced beta-lactamase. A total of 96.5% of beta-lactamase negative isolates tested were susceptible to penicillin (MIC < or = 2 micrograms/ml-1); 14.03% of the tested isolates were resistant to tetracycline (MIC < or = 2 micrograms/ml-1), and 98% of the tested isolates were susceptible to spectinomycin (MIC < or = 64 micrograms/ml-1). The MICs for 95% of the isolates, tested for other drugs were: < or = 2 micrograms/ml-1 for cefoxitin, < or = 0.06 microgram/ml-1 for cefotaxime, < or = 0.25 microgram/ml-1 for norfloxacin, < or = 10 micrograms/ml-1 for cephaloridine, < or = 10 micrograms/ml-1 for cephalexin, and < or = 50 micrograms/ml-1 for kanamycin. Antibiotic resistance among N. gonorrhoeae isolates from Tucumán, Argentina, appeared to be primarily limited to penicillin and tetracycline, which has been a general use against gonorrhoeae in Tucumán since 1960. Periodic monitoring of the underlying susceptibility profiles of the N. gonorrhoeae strains prevalent in areas of frequent transmission may provide clues regarding treatment options and emerging of drug resistance.