The epidemiology of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates in Greenland 1979-1990: the emergence, spread and disappearance of non-PPNG strains carrying the conjugative 38.9 kb plasmid.

Background: In 1990, Greenland was one of the few areas in the world in which endemic occurrence of PPNG had not been reported. However, between 1982 and 1988 an increase in the prevalence of strains with chromosomally mediated resistance to penicillin had been noticed. The standard treatment regimen was changed early in 1983. Objective: To determine the prevalence of the 38.9 kb plasmid in gonococcal strains isolated in Greenland 1979-1990. Design: Retrospective (1979-1984) and prospective (1985-1990) studies of antimicrobial susceptibility and plasmid profile of consecutive N. gonorrhoeae isolates from patients attending the STD clinic in Nuuk, Greenland; selected strains from 1982-1984 were subjected to serotyping and auxotyping