Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 October 2009
Between April 1983 and December 1985, 576 strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae were isolated in our laboratory from patients attending Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) clinics. Of these, 61 (10·6%) were penicillinase-producing. Studies on these strains by plasmid analysis, auxotyping and serogrouping showed that the predominant type strains harboured the Asian resistance plasmid, were prototrophic, and were of serogroup WII/WIII. About half of the strains, both of the African and Asian type, harboured the transfer plasmid. Strains of serogroup WII/WIII were less sensitive to tetracycline and cefoxitin than serogroup WI strains.