Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae using the agar dilution method. Antimicrobials on the testing panel include: penicillin, spectinomycin, tetracycline, erythromycin, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, cefixime, and azithromycin.

Pure culture.

N/A

Pure Neisseria gonorrhoeae cultures can be transported in: i) Amies Clear Agar Gel Transport Swabs; ii) Chocolate Agar Slants that have been incubated at 35^oC in a CO₂ enriched atmosphere for 18-24 hours before transport; iii) shipped on dry ice, frozen at -80^oC in BHI (Brain Heart Infusion) broth containing 20% glycerine. Cutlures MUST be shipped before the Wednesday of each week.

Shipping of specimens shall be done by a TDG certified individual in accordance with TDG regulations. For additional information regarding classification of specimens for the purposes of shipping, consult either Part 2 Appendix 3 of the TDG Regulations or section 3.6.2 of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations as applicable.

Infection with N. gonorrhoeae.

Completed Neisseria gonorrhoeae Surveillance and Reference Testing requisition form with sender lab name, address and telephone number. All patient information must be filled out including patient identifier (specimen reference #), date of birth and sex, type of specimen submitted, date collected, isolation site and test requested. Test results to be included, if possible, are antimicrobial susceptibility values and beta-lactamase results. Urgent specimens must be stated as such on the requisition.

This test is done as part of the National Surveillance of Antimicrobial Susceptibilities of Neisseria gonorrhoeae program testing algorithm.

See CLSI guidelines (2).

180 calendar days. Outbreak associated or urgent isolates will be granted priority status and completed as soon as possible. *Turn around times may not be guaranteed when isolates are submitted in large batches.

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2007 Supplement, gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP) Annual report 2007. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, March 2009. Available: http//www.cdc.gov/std/GISP2007/.
2. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing; Twenty-Second Informational Supplement M100-S22, Vol. 32 No. 3. Wayne, PA: CLSI, 2012.
3. Ehret JM, Nims LJ, Judson FN. A clinical isolate of Neisseria gonorrhoeae with in vitro resistance to erythromycin and decreased susceptibility to azithromycin. Sex Transm Dis 1996;23:270-272.
4. Laboratory Protocols for Testing N. gonorrhoeae - Preparation of Antimicrobial Containing Media to Determine Susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Agar Dilution Method) - October 1996 (edited and prepared by M. Pauzé, Bureau of Microbiology).
5. Tapsall JW, Shultz TR, Limnios EA, et al. Failure of azithromycin therapy in gonorrhea and miscorrelation with laboratory test parameters. Sex Transm Dis 1998;25:505-508.