PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Amina Hançali
AU  - Francis Ndowa
AU  - Bahija Bellaji
AU  - Aziza Bennani
AU  - Amina Kettani
AU  - Reda Charof
AU  - Rajae El Aouad
TI  - Antimicrobial resistance monitoring in <em>Neisseria gonorrhoeae</em> and strategic use of funds from the Global Fund to set up a systematic Moroccan gonococcal antimicrobial surveillance programme
AID  - 10.1136/sextrans-2013-051166
DP  - 2013 Dec 01
TA  - Sexually Transmitted Infections
PG  - iv24--iv27
VI  - 89
IP  - Suppl 4
4099  - http://sti.bmj.com/content/89/Suppl_4/iv24.short
4100  - http://sti.bmj.com/content/89/Suppl_4/iv24.full
SO  - Sex Transm Infect2013 Dec 01; 89
AB  - Objectives The aims of this study were to assess antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections and update the treatment in the national guidelines for the syndromic management of sexually transmitted infections in Morocco. Methods 171 men complaining of urethral discharge were recruited from basic health services during 2009. Urethral swab samples were collected and N gonorrhoeae identification was performed by culture. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the Etest method and the antimicrobial agents tested were ciprofloxacin, penicillin, spectinomycin, tetracycline, ceftriaxone and cefixime. Results A total of 72 isolates were examined. Significant resistance to tetracycline (92.8%) and ciprofloxacin (86.8%), which was used as first-line treatment in gonococcal infections, was noted. No resistance to spectinomycin, ceftriaxone or cefixime was detected in all the isolates. Conclusions Following these results the Ministry of Health of Morocco replaced ciprofloxacin and introduced ceftriaxone 250 mg as a single dose in the treatment of gonococcal infections. Using funds from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund), a surveillance programme was set up for antimicrobial resistance testing in N gonorrhoeae.