Background The global prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Neisseria gonorrhea (GC) is increasing and of specific concern is the emerging resistance to third generation cephalosporins worldwide. In Africa, exceedingly limited AMR data is available. The study determined the AMR in GC isolates a public referral clinics offering HIV and STI testing and treatment to people living in Nairobi and the region

Methods The survey on men presenting with urethral discharge at the special treatment Clinic (STC-Casino Clinic) collected samples from symptomatic men, inoculated on modified Thayer martin media (MTM) and identified by standard bacteriological methods. The MICs of five antibiotics Azithromycin, Gentamycin, ciprofloxacin, cefixime and ceftriaxone are determined by the Etest method (AB Biodisk, Solna, Sweden) and results defined as susceptible, intermediate and resistant. WHO reference strains were used as controls.

Results A total of 153 samples have been collected with 96 samples having tested culture positive, giving a 62.7% prevalence on samples collected from 25th June 2018 to 5th Februry, 2019. The mean MIC of 0.016 was recorded for Azithromycin, cefixime, while a mean MIC of 1.41 and 2.0 was recorded for Ciprofloxacin and Gentamycin respectively. The MIC range for Ciprofloxacin and Gentamycin was from 0.004 to 6 and from 0.125 to 8 respectively.

Conclusion This is a continuous study on the Gonoccocal surveillance program to describe antimicrobial resistance profiles of antibiotics used in the region. It confirms that N. gonorrhea isolates from Nairobi in 2018 possessed high level resistance to Ciprofloxacin an antimicrobials previously recommended for the treatment of gonorrhea. Cefixime, ceftriaxone and azithromycin are still useful drugs for treatment of gonococcal infections in Kenya. The outcome of this study together with other additional studies will enable revisions of the gonorrhea treatment guidelines in Kenya and support in antimicrobial resistance in the region.

Disclosure No significant relationships.