Analysis of serovar distribution as a tool in epidemiological studies in gonorrhoea.
During one year 738 gonococcal isolates from 731 consecutive patients with gonorrhoea were collected and classified by co-agglutination using W I and W II/III specific monoclonal antibodies. Eight W I and 30 W II/III serovars (serovariants) were seen. In both serogroups the most frequent serovar among isolates from women and heterosexual men differed from that among isolates from homosexual men. Forty-two per cent of the serovars, were confined only to one subpopulation, i.e. women, heterosexual men or homosexual men, representing 19 (3%) of the 738 isolates. Out of these 19 isolates 42% were acquired abroad compared with 12% of the 653 isolates in the serovars shared between two or all three subpopulations (p less than 0.005). Imported W I isolates were often of the same serovar that dominated in Stockholm. W II/III isolates acquired abroad were often of unusual serovars (p less than 0.0005) and might be a source of future changes of the serovar pattern in Sweden. In this way we can follow the introduction of new serovars into our society and their circulation between the subpopulations.
D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012737:Sex Factors; D013548:Sweden
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000939:Epitopes