title: Characterization of an outbreak of tetM-containing Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Argentina.
abstract: Phenotypic and molecular characterization of an outbreak of 9 Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) isolates exhibiting high-level plasmid mediated resistance to penicillin and tetracycline (PP-TRNG) that took place in Tandil, Argentina between February and April 1995. Comparison with the patterns of the 3 PP-TRNG strains previously isolated were made. We determined the following markers for each strain: antimicrobial susceptibility, serogroup, auxotype, plasmid profile, presence of tetM determinant and restriction pattern of the tetM-containing plasmid. Antimicrobial tests values were: tetracycline disk diameter 12-14 mm, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) 32 micrograms/ml; penicillin disk diameter 6 mm, MIC 32 micrograms/ml and sensitive by both methods to spectinomycin, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin. All isolates were of the same serogroup (WI). Ten of the strains, including the 9 from Tandil outbreak, were arginine-requiring, while the other 2 were methionine and arginine-requiring. All of them demonstrate the same plasmid profile (2.6, 3.2, 25.2 MDa). They were positive for the tetM determinant and the restriction analysis identified it is a Dutch-type plasmid. In spite of the temporal and geographical dispersion, PP-TRNG strains in Argentina seem to be highly homogeneous in terms of antimicrobial susceptibility, serogroup, plasmid profiles and even auxotype.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Service, National Institute of Microbiology, Buenos Aires.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fernandez Cobo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Galarza
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sparo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Buscemi
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Pizarro
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fiorito
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010957:Plasmids; D013753:Tetracycline Resistance / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; C083138:Tet M resistance protein, Bacteria