Isolation of Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria catarrhalis from the genitourinary tract and anal canal

Abstract

During a 12-month period 285 isolates of Neisseria species, other than N.gonorrhoeae, were cultured from patients attending the Department of Venereology, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh. There were 8 patients in whom genitourinary or rectal isolates of N. meningitidis or N. catarrhalis were found. Differences between data from this series and from previously reports are discussed with particular regard to sites routinely cultured in female patients. The authors also report in vitro inhibition of N. gonorrhoeae by an isolate of N. meningitidis cultured from the cervix of a patient.