DRUG SUSCEPTIBILITY OF NEISSERIA GONORRHOEAE IN LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

Drug susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in the past 3 years in Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) was examined. The organisms were collected from the patients visiting Center for Laboratory and Epidemiology, Ministry of Health, Vientiane, Lao PDR. A total of 131 isolates of N. gonorrhoeae (45 in 2000. 27 in 2001, and 59 in 2002) were collected, and the drug susceptibilities of the isolates were examined by disc method using 5 anti-microbial agents (ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, penicillin, spectinomycin, and tetracycline). The susceptibility was expressed as sensitive (S), intermediate (M) and resistant (R) depending on the Zone Diameter Interpretive Chart attached to the disc preparation. As the results, almost all isolates were resistant to penicillin and tetracycline, but sensitive to ceftriaxone and spectinomycin. Most of the penicillin resistant isolates were regarded as penicillinase producing N. gonorrhoeae (PPNG) depending on the effect of clavulanic acid. N. gonorrhoeae is getting resistant to ciprofloxacin in the 3-year examination period. About 10% of the isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin in 2000, but the rate of resistant strains went up to 70% in 2002. There were very few isolates showing intermediate susceptibility.