Infertility in Central Africa: infection is the cause.

Determinants of infertility were studied in 340 women in Eastern Gabon, an area situated in the "infertility belt" of Central Africa. Fallopian tube occlusion was diagnosed in 82.8% of cases, showing the importance of infection-related causes.

Changing antibiotic susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Franceville, Gabon.

Susceptibilities to penicillin, cefotaxime, kanamycin, tetracycline, and spectinomycin were measured for 5 reference strains and 302 Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates collected between 1980 and 1985. After an initial rise, the number of penicillinase-producing strains decreased. A gradual decrease in susceptibility to spectinomycin and the appearance of tetracycline-resistant strains were also documented.

Ophthalmia neonatorum in a semi-rural African community.

The incidence and aetiology of ophthalmia neonatorum have been estimated over a 7-month period in Franceville, a semi-rural community in south-eastern Gabon. Chlamydia trachomatis was the most frequently observed pathogen, being isolated from 17 babies (2.7% of births), and Neisseria gonorrhoeae was recovered from 12 (1.

Auxotypes and serogroups of penicillinase producing and non-producing strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolated in Franceville, Gabon.

The auxotypes and serogroups of 250 consecutive isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae from Franceville, Gabon, including 33 penicillinase producing (PPNG) strains, were identified and the results tabulated for four periods. The PPNG and certain non-PPNG strains were isolated in clusters against a relatively stable pattern of non-PPNG biotypes. Most of the non-PPNG strains were non-requiring or proline requiring strains of serogroup WII or non-requiring strains that could not be grouped with commercially available antisera.

Prepartal infection of the placenta with Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Placentas from 191 consecutive deliveries were cultured for Neisseria gonorrhoeae and other bacteria before being examined histologically. N gonorrhoeae was seen on direct microscopical examination and cultured from two placentas, one of which had chorioamnionitis and the other had a granulocytic invasion of the membranes. In both patients, rupture of the membranes had occurred two hours or less before delivery, and thus after infection.