ANTIGONOCOCCAL ACTIVITY OF 11 DRUGS USED FOR THERAPY OR PROPHYLAXIS OF MALARIA

Antibacterial agents are often used in malarial endemic areas for anti malarial prophylaxis (such as doxycycline and clindamycin). Gonococcal infections may coexist in the same geographic area, thus becoming sup pressed by compounds directed toward malarial parasites. We tested 11 drugs with activity for Plasmodium species against 105 Neisseria gonor rhoeae strains. Traditional or investigational antimalarials such as a rteflene (Ro 42-1611), chloroquine, primaquine, pyrimethamine, quinacr ine, and quinine were observed to be inactive. Fansidar (sulfadoxine-p yrimethamine) and mefloquine possess marginal action in a minority of gonococcus strains (<10%). Doxycycline [minimum inhibitory concentrati on inhibiting 90% of tested strains (MIC(90)) 2 mu g/ml] and azithromy cin (MIC(90), 0.5 mu g/ml) among the antibacterials were very active, indicating a dual role as antimalarial and antigonococcal agents. Thus , the gonorrhea and sexually transmitted disease epidemiologic data fr om geographic regions where doxycycline or newer macrolides may be use d for malarial prophylaxis or therapy could be significantly altered.