THE SENSITIVITY OF 173 SYDNEY ISOLATES OF NEISSERIA-GONORRHOEAE TO CEFPODOXIME AND OTHER ANTIBIOTICS USED TO TREAT GONORRHEA

One hundred and thirty seven consecutive isolates of Neisseria gonorrh oeae and a further 36 selected gonococci with either chromosomal(CMRNG ) or plasmid mediated (PPNG) resistance to penicillin, all cultured in Sydney in 1993, were found to be sensitive to cefpodoxime, an oral th ird generation cephalosporin antibiotic (MIG range < 0.001-0.25 mg/L). All isolates were also sensitive to ceftriaxone and spectinomycin. Si x gonococci showed high level resistance to tetracycline (TRNG, MIC=32 mg/L) and 12 had decreased susceptibility to quinolone antibiotics (M IC range 0.06-0.5 mg/L). The MIC(50) and MIG(90) for both cefpodoxime and ceftriaxone were highest amongst CMRNG and ceftriaxone was 2 to 4 times as active as cefpodoxime weight for weight. Cefpodoxime may be a valuable additional oral agent for the treatment of gonorrhea in Aust ralia. The sensitivity of gonococci to cefpodoxime can probably be inf erred from values obtained for ceftriaxone.