Increased clonality among Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates during the COVID-19 pandemic in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

ABSTRACT: Distancing measures during the COVID-19 lockdown led to a temporary decrease of casual sex partners among clients of the Centre for Sexual Health (CSH) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We investigated the effect of this change on the genotypic and phenotypic distribution of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) isolates from CSH patients. From each Ng-positive patient we sequenced one isolate, resulting in 322 isolates which constituted two groups: 181 isolates cultured from 15 January to 29 February 2020 (before the first lockdown) and 141 cultured from 15 May to 30 June 2020 (during the first lockdown). Patient characteristics showed significantly more symptomatic patients and significantly fewer reported sex partners during the lockdown. Phenotypic data showed an increase in low

SUBMITTER: Zondag HCA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10210945 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature