PREVALENCE OF NEISSERIA GONORRHEA AND THEIR ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY PATTERNS AMONG SYMPTOMATIC WOMEN ATTENDING GYNECOLOGY OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENT IN HAWASSA REFERRAL HOSPITAL, HAWASSA, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

BACKGROUND: gonorrhoeae, a sexually transmitted disease caused by Neisseria gonorrhea for whichhumans are the only natural host. The causative organism is highly adapted to the genital tract and oftencausing asymptomatic and undetected infection in females in which Acquisition of gonococcal infectionlate in pregnancy can adversely affect labor and delivery as well as the well-being of the fetus. The aimsof this study were to determine the prevalence and drug susceptibility pattern of Neisseria gonorrheaamong symptomatic women in Hawassa Referral Hospital.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 1 2010 to February 30, 2011 atHawassa Referral Hospital. All women who visited gynecology outpatient department (OPD) withsuspected gonococcal infection were included. Endocervical swab was collected by the attendingphysician. The presence of gonorrhea was confirmed by culture, gram staining and biochemical tests.Antimicrobial sensitivity test was performed using disc diffusion method and the result was interpretedaccordingly.RESULTS: Of the total 215 cases examined, 11 (5.1%) were confirmed to have gonococcal infection.Although not statistically significant, most of the cases 5/11 (45.5%) were in age group of 20-24 yearsand the identified organism had low level susceptibility to quinolones (ciprofloxacin 55%, ofloxacin 64%& lomefloxacin 64%).CONCLUSION: Despite low rates of gonorrhea infection, it is important to focus on high-riskpopulations (reproductive age group) because of the great physical and emotional costs of the disease. Ahigh resistance for quinolones, the commonly used antibiotics was observed for this laboratory-baseddiagnosisisrecommended.Keywords: Neisseria gonorrhea, drug susceptibility, symptomatic women, Southern Ethiopia