Decreased susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to fluoroquinolones--Ohio and Hawaii, 1992-1994.

Until 1992, virtually all strains of N. gonorrhoeae tested were susceptible to fluoroquinolones, including ciprofloxacin (minimal inhibitory concentrations [MICs] of < or = 0.06 microgram/mL). However, gonococcal strains with decreased susceptibilities to ciprofloxacin (MICs of 0.13-0.25 micrograms/mL) have been isolated sporadically from patients in the United States through the Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP), which measures antimicrobial susceptibilities of urethral isolates from men each month. This report describes findings from Ohio and Hawaii that suggest the emergence of fluoroquinolone resistance in N. gonorrhoeae.