Current methods to identify the gonococcal infection pathogen

Abstract

The authors present the data on the current laboratory methods and recommendations for identifying the gonorrhea pathogen applied in Russia and abroad: microscopy method, cultural (bacteriological) study method, nucleic acid amplification techniques and DNA chip technology. The benefits and shortcomings of each of the techniques have been compared. The authors emphasize the cultural method is currently considered to be the key one for diagnosing gonorrhea due to its high specificity and sensitivity making it possible to define the N.gonorrhoeae sensitivity to antimicrobial drugs, which is very important taking into consideration the N. gonorrhoeae resistance to antibiotics. The nucleic acid amplification techniques and, first of all, polymerase chain reaction, can be used in Russia as screening methods. The results obtained by using the techniques need confirmation by the cultural method.