Ofloxacin susceptibilities of 5,667 Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains isolated in Hong Kong

Of 5,667 strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated from the Government Social Hygiene (sexually transmitted disease) Clinics in Hong Kong from 1990 to 1992, there was a trend toward an increase in the percentage of strains resistant in vitro to 0.01 and 0.1 microgram of ofloxacin per ml, with 54.3 and 5.5% resistant strains, respectively, in January 1990, rising to 95.3 and 41.5%, respectively, in December 1992. The percentage of strains for which the MIC is > 1 microgram/ml remains stable, and no clinical failure has yet been seen. This trend of decreasing susceptibility warrants close monitoring when ofloxacin is used as first-line treatment for gonorrhea.