Distribution of auxotypes and correlation to antibiotic susceptibility of 169 recent clinical Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from Munich

Abstract

In Munich 169 isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae were investigated with respect to nutritional profiles (auxotypes) and antibiotic susceptibility. Of the 165 penicillin-susceptible strains 97 proved to be prototrophic (auxotype 1), 42 proline-dependent (auxotype 2). Only 3 arginine-, hypoxanthine- and uracil-dependent strains (auxotype 14) were found. A total of 10 different auxotypes were identified among the non-penicillinase-producing strains and one among the penicillinase producers. The minimal inhibitory concentrations of penicillin G ranged from 0.01 to 1 microgram/ml, those of cefuroxime from 0.001 to 4 mg/ml; tetracycline and kanamycin had a narrow spectrum of effective concentrations, from 0.25 to 8 micrograms/ml and from 4 to 64 micrograms/ml respectively. The type 14 strains showed the well-known high susceptibility to penicillin G.