The epidemiology of fluoroquinolone-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Hawaii, 2001.
Increases in the number of infections with fluoroquinolone-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Asia and the United States threaten the efficacy of fluoroquinolones as inexpensive, single-dose, orally administered treatments for gonorrhea. This report describes the findings of a field investigation of an increase in the number of infections with ciprofloxacin-resistant N. gonorrhoeae (CipRGC) in Hawaii in 2001. We conducted a case review of 53 patients with CipRGC, who constituted 20% of the 267 patients with cultures positive for N. gonorrhoeae during this period. Nearly one-half of patients with CipRGC were seen by clinicians in private practice, one-third were seen by clinicians at a sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinic, and only 2% were seen by clinicians in the military. Among the 117 patients with culture-confirmed gonorrhea who attended the public STD clinic, we found a prevalence of infection with CipRGC of 17%. The demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with CipRGC were similar to those of patients with gonorrhea that was not resistant to ciprofloxacin, suggesting that fluoroquinolone-resistant gonorrhea has become endemic in Hawaii.
Division of STD Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. len4@cdc.gov
Lori M
LM
Newman
Susan A
SA
Wang
Roy G
RG
Ohye
Norman
N
O'Connor
Maria V
MV
Lee
Hillard S
HS
Weinstock
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D024841:Fluoroquinolones / Q000494:pharmacology; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006069:Gonorrhea / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006254:Hawaii; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D009344:Neisseria gonorrhoeae / Q000187:drug effects*; D015231:Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D024841:Fluoroquinolones; D002939:Ciprofloxacin