Study of antimicrobial resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in the city skin and venereological dispensary of Almaty, Kazakhstan

Abstract

The study included 132 subjects (men - 98 and women - 34) aged 16 - 56 years (mean age 32.0 ± 9.7 years) with acute uncomplicated gonorrhoea, residents of Almaty, who were examined and treated in the city skin and venereological dispensary (hereinafter- ACSVD) in 2022-2023.

Clinical material for laboratory examination for N. gonorrhoeae was obtained: in men - from urethra, if indicated - from rectum, paraurethral glands, prostate gland, oropharynx, conjunctiva. In women - from the urethra and cervical canal, when indicated - from the large vestibular and paraurethral glands, vagina, rectum, oropharynx, conjunctiva.

The absolute majority of men (92 (93.9%) and 28 (82.4%) women indicated casual sexual relations (women) and commercial sex as the reasons for infection and referral to a doctor.

The vast majority of male patients (78; 79.6%) were diagnosed with anterior gonococcal urethritis and the remaining (20.4%) patients showed clinical picture of total urethritis. In women, gonorrhoea presented with clinical symptoms of vulvovaginitis (88.2%), urethritis (44.1%), cervicitis (50.0%), cystitis (14.7%), or a combination of these (70.6%).

The results of sensitivity and resistance of clinical isolates of gonorrhoea strains showed that they were most sensitive to cephalosporins (ceftriaxone - 96%) and spectinomycin (95%), while penicillin (17%) had the least activity. To the second-line antibiotics (doxacillin and azithromycin) practically gonorrhoea strains had 50% sensitivity.