Decreased susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates from Switzerland to Cefixime and Ceftriaxone: antimicrobial susceptibility data from 1990 and 2000 to 2012

Table 1 N. gonorrhoeae **with decreased susceptibility* to cefixime, ceftriaxone, and resistance to ciprofloxacin and penicillin in Switzerland, 1990–2012**

	Cefixime			Ceftriaxone			Ciprofloxacin			Penicillin
Year	Tested, n^#	DS, n (%)	(95% CI)	Tested, n^#	DS, n (%)	(95% CI)	Tested, n^#	R, n (%)	(95% CI)	Tested, n^#	R, n (%)	(95% CI)
1990	16	0 (0)	(0–21)	16	0 (0)	(0–21)	42	1 (2.4)	(0–12)	42	9 (21.4)	(10–37)
2000-2002	7	0 (0)	(0–40)	7	0 (0)	(0–40)	33	10 (30.3)	(15–48)	33	4 (12.1)	(3–28)
2003/2004	10	0 (0)	(0–30)	10	0 (0)	(0–30)	33	16 (48.5)	(31–66)	33	13 (39.4)	(23–58)
2005/2006	17	0 (0)	(0–19)	32	0 (0)	(0–11)	36	21 (58.3)	(41–74)	31	7 (22.6)	(10–41)
2007/2008	48	5 (10.4)	(3.4-22)	85	2 (2.4)	(0.3-8)	85	62 (72.9)	(62–82)	84	25 (29.8)	(20–41)
2009/2010	26	3 (11.5)	(2.4-30)	43	2 (4.7)	(0.5-16)	43	31 (72.1)	(56–84)	43	7 (16.3)	(7–30)
2011/2012	35	4 (11.4)	(3.2-26)	46	0 (0)	(0–8)	44	32 (72.7)	(57–85)	44	10 (22.7)	(11–38)
Total	159			239			317			311

Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval of the proportion; DS, decreased susceptibility; R, resistant.
*Decreased susceptibility to cefixime and ceftriaxone defined by minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) >0.125 mg/L. Ciprofloxacin resistance defined by MIC >0.064 mg/L, and penicillin resistance defined by MIC >1.0/L or penicillinase-producing strains, according to the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST).
^#The 42 isolates from 1990 and the 66 isolates from 2000–2004 were stored at -70°C and subcultured in 2005 for testing for penicillin and ciprofloxacin; and in 2011 for cefixime and ceftriaxone. The 36 strains from 2005/2006, the 85 strains from 2007/2008, the 43 strains from 2009/2010, and the 44 strains from 2011/2012 were tested under routine conditions for penicillin, ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone. In 2011 the viable strains were tested for cefixime. By the end of 2011, all strains were tested routinely for penicillin, ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone and cefepime. This explains why the number of strains tested in each period differs for each antibiotic.

ISSN: 1471-2334