Testing sensitivity of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to spectinomycin

• Published in: Genitourinary Medicine Vol. 61; no. 4; pp. 241 - 243
• Main Authors: Hilton, J M, Ison, C A, Easmon, C S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 01-08-1985; British Medical Association; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Antibacterial agents; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Biological and medical sciences; Medical sciences; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Neisseria gonorrhoeae - drug effects; Neisseria gonorrhoeae - enzymology; Penicillinase - biosynthesis; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Spectinomycin - pharmacology; Antibiotic; Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Drug susceptibility test; Neisseriaceae; Bacteria; Antibacterial agent; In vitro
• ISSN: 0266-4348; 1472-3263
• DOI: 10.1136/sti.61.4.241

A concentration of 16 mg/l spectinomycin incorporated in agar gave the best discrimination between Neisseria gonorrhoeae sensitive and resistant to spectinomycin. This method was compared with spectinomycin sensitivity testing with 25 micrograms or 100 micrograms discs. Both methods agreed fully for 197 spectinomycin sensitive and three spectinomycin resistant gonococci. The agar incorporation "breakpoint" concentration technique failed to detect a small spectinomycin resistant population in a fourth isolate, which was detected by disc testing. It may be possible to predict the emergence of spectinomycin resistance among strains of N gonorrhoeae.