The plasmid profiles of 66 strains of penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG), isolated in Peninsular Malaysia, were determined by agarose gel electrophoresis. All the isolates harboured two common plasmid species, a 4.4 x 10 6 Far-East type R plasmid associated with beta-lactamase production and a 2.6 x 106 plasmid of unknown function. In addition to these two plasmids, 51 (77%) PPNG isolates also carried a 24.5 x 106 conjugative plasmid.
The plasmid profiles of 160 strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated in Peninsular Malaysia, comprising 80 penicillinase-producing (PPNG) and 80 non-penicillinase-producing (non-PPNG) isolates, were determined. The 80 PPNG isolates were divided into two plasmid groups. All of them harbored two common plasmid species, a 4.4 megadalton (Md) R plasmid previously associated with beta-lactamase production in PPNG strains from the Far East and a 2.6 Md multicopy plasmid of unknown function. In addition to these two plasmids, 60 (75%) PPNG isolates also carried a large 24.5 Md conjugative plasmid. In contrast, the 80 non-PPNG strains were divided into three plasmid groups. All of them possessed the 2.6 Md cryptic plasmid, and 35 (44%) isolates also harbored the 24.5 Md transfer plasmid. Besides these two plasmids, one non-PPNG isolate carried an additional 7.8 Md cryptic plasmid.
The World Health Organization Western Pacific Region Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (WHO WPR GASP) is a multicentric long term programme of continuous surveillance of the antibiotic susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. In 1997 the programme examined the susceptibility of 8,594 isolates of gonococci to various antimicrobials in 15 focal points. The trend toward increased antimicrobial resistance noted in earlier years continued. The proportion of quinolone resistant gonococci reported from most centres was either maintained or else increased. More than half of the isolates tested in China-Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines had altered quinolone susceptibility and increases in the number and percentage of quinolone resistant strains were noted in most, but not all, of the other centres. Resistance to the penicillins was again widespread, and chromosomally mediated resistance was a significant factor. Penicillinase-producing Niesseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG) were present in all centres. All isolates were sensitive to the third generation cephalosporins and only a very few isolates in China were spectinomycin resistant. High level tetracycline resistance was concentrated in a number of centres including Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. The proportion of tetracycline resistant Neiserria gonorrhoeae (TRNG) in most of the remaining centres was less than 10 per cent.