title: Gonorrhoea and urogenital chlamydial infection in female prostitutes in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
abstract: The prevalence of gonorrhoea and urogenital chlamydial infection was investigated in female prostitutes in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Epidemiological data were recorded according to a standardized questionnaire. The median age of the prostitutes was 27 years and the median period of prostitution was 2-4 years. Most of the women (91%) had no occupation other than prostitution and 57% of them had not even completed primary school. In 233 cases when both gonococcal culture and chlamydial antigen detection with a commercial EIA kit were performed the prevalence of gonorrhoea was 25% (59) and that of chlamydial infection 31% (72). Both diseases were recorded in 9%. The women who had been prostitutes for 2 years or longer had gonorrhoea (P less than 0.01) or chlamydial infection (P less than 0.05) less frequently than those who had practised prostitution for a shorter time period. Among 70 different gonococcal isolates from 241 prostitutes, 40 (57%) belonged to serogroup W II/III. Most (83%) of the 30 W I isolates were beta-lactamase producing (PPNG) like 42% of the W II/III isolates. All non-PPNG isolates, except one had decreased susceptibility to benzylpenicillin (MIC greater than or equal to 0.125 mg/l) and all isolates were susceptible to spectinomycin. Four out of five isolates from the throat were PPNG and the fifth had a benzylpenicillin MIC of 0.5-2.0 mg/l.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, National Autonomous University of Honduras, Tegucigalpa.
authors.forename: V S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Venegas
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Villafranca
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Madrid
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cosenza
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bygdeman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002692:Chlamydia trachomatis / Q000276:immunology; D003275:Contraceptive Devices, Male / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D052776:Female Urogenital Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006721:Honduras / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011477:Sex Work; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001618:beta-Lactamases