[Gonococcal infections in Gabon (Haut-Ogooué)]

Abstract

The isolation of N. gonorrhoeae in the region of Franceville was attempted on the one hand with 261 men and 261 women presenting urethral or cervical discharge, and on the other hand with 530 women attending a prenatal clinic of whom 42 had cervical discharge while 488 did not. Amongst the men, 69.7% of the urethritis cases were due to N. gonorrhoeae while this bacteria could be isolated from 15.3% of the women with cervical exudates. N. gonorrhoeae could be also identified in 5.5% of the pregnant women of whom 79% were without exudate. The frequency of N. gonorrhoeae isolates from STD consultations was 440 cases per year per 100,000 while the male: female ratio was 4.6. The isolation rate from pregnant women would indicate however a frequency in women in excess of 1 500 cases per 100,000. The isolation of N. gonorrhoeae was tabulated according to the age of the patients. The 15-20 year group was clearly the most frequently infected. Trichomonas was observed in 2% of the men and 23% of the women with discharges. Yeasts (chiefly Candida albicans) were found in 23.5% of the women but in none of the men.