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No way back for quinolones in the treatment of gonorrhoea
  1. P C Goold1,
  2. C J Bignell2
  1. 1Whittall Street Clinic, Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Whittall Street, Birmingham B4 6DH, UK
  2. 2Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Nottingham City Hospital, Hucknall Road, Nottingham NG5 1PB, UK
  1. Correspondence to:
 Penny C Goold
 Whittall Street Clinic, Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Whittall Street, Birmingham B4 6DH, UK; pennygoold{at}aol.com

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the changing prevalence of quinolone resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae (QRNG) over 3 years following implementation of cephalosporin treatment (for gonorrhoea).

Methods: Case review of all episodes of gonorrhoea diagnosed in the genitourinary medicine clinic in Nottingham during the first 6 months of each year between 2002 and 2005.

Results: The prevalence of QRNG peaked at 52.5% in January 2002. Three years after third generation cephalosporins were implemented for the treatment of gonorrhoea, QRNG persists in the local population with a prevalence of 9.1% over the first half of 2005.

Conclusions: The persistence of QRNG at a prevalence exceeding 5% precludes a return to quinolones for the treatment of gonorrhoea. The significant reduction in all cases of gonorrhoea identified over the same time is unlikely to be related to the change to treatment with cephalosporins.

  • GRASP, Gonococcal Resistance to Antimicrobials Surveillance Programme
  • QRNG, quinolone resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae
  • gonorrhoea
  • drug resistance
  • quinolones
  • epidemiology

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Footnotes

  • Competing interests: none.