Spectinomycin resistant gonococci

Abstract

A study was conducted examining the properties of 10 clinical isolates of spectinomycin resistant gonococci from patients attending clinics at St Mary's and St Thomas's Hospitals, London. All of the isolates produced β-lactamase and contained plasmids of 2.6, 4.4, and 24.5 megadaltons and required proline for growth. None produced aminoglycoside modifying enzymes. Resistance to spectinomycin was transferred from some of the isolates by transformation but at a much lower frequency than resistance to streptomycin. The isolates from St Mary's Hospital were detected after therapy with spectinomycin, whereas those from St Thomas's Hospital were not. Four recent non-β-lactamase producing gonococci isolated at St Mary's Hospital and two isolated at St Thomas's Hospital also were not related to use of spectinomycin.