Prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility of neisseria gonorrhoeae in HIV positive and hiv negative cases at a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Gonorrhea is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in developing countries, and the emergence of resistance to antimicrobial agents in Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a major hindrance in the control of gonorrhea. Over the past decade, Neisseria gonorrhoeae has developed resistance against commonly used antibiotics. Method: This was a prospective study done for a period of 3 years, both in men and women with the age group of (15 – 50 years) with any signs and symptoms for STIs were included. Discharge specimens like urethral, vaginal and endocervical were collected under strict aseptic conditions and smears were prepared for Gram staining and culture was done on selective and non-selective agar media. Antibiotic susceptibility was done according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. Results: Antibiotic resistance was higher in gonorrheal patients co-infected with HIV. The overall prevalence of gonorrhoea and its co-infection with HIV was 9% and 23.6% respectively. Highest resistance was seen with Penicillin, Tetracycline, Nalidixic acid, Ciprofloxine, Cefotaxime and Cefoxitin in both positive and negative cases of HIV. Conclusion: Periodic monitoring of antimicrobial sensitivity profile will help in detecting change in susceptibility pattern and the emergence of drug-resistant strains. Key words: Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI), Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV), Antibiotics, Resistance