Annual Report Of The Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Programme, 2007

The Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Programme (AGSP) monitors the antibiotic susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated in all states and territories. In 2007 the in vitro susceptibility of 3,042 isolates of gonococci from public and private sector sources was determined by standardised methods. The proportion of gonococci resistant to all antibiotics tested nationally was at historically high levels. Different antibiotic susceptibility patterns were again seen in the various jurisdictions and regions. Resistance to the penicillins nationally was at 38% and, with the exception of the Northern Territory, ranged between 24% in Western Australia and 54% in New South Wales. Quinolone resistance in gonococci also continued to increase so that nationally 49% of all isolates were ciprofloxacin-resistant, and most of this resistance was at high MIC levels. Again with the Northern Territory excepted, proportions of quinolone resistant gonococci ranged between 26% in Western Australia and 65% in New South Wales. All isolates remained sensitive to spectinomycin. Approximately 1% of isolates showed some decreased susceptibility to ceftriaxone (MIC 0.06 mg/L or more) and azithromycin resistance was present in low numbers of gonococci. A high proportion of gonococci examined in larger urban centres were from male patients and rectal and pharyngeal isolates were common. In other centres and in rural Australia the male to female ratio of cases was lower, and most isolates were from the genital tract.