{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,20]],"date-time":"2026-10-20T15:48:44Z","timestamp":1792511324555,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,22]],"date-time":"2023-11-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1700611200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Commensal <jats:italic>Neisseria<\/jats:italic> species of the oropharynx represent a significant reservoir of antimicrobial resistance determinants that can be transferred to <jats:italic>Neisseria gonorrhoeae<\/jats:italic>. This aspect is particularly crucial in \u2018men having sex with men\u2019 (MSM), a key population in which pharyngeal co-colonization by <jats:italic>N. gonorrhoeae<\/jats:italic> and non-pathogenic <jats:italic>Neisseria<\/jats:italic> species is frequent and associated with the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Here, we explored the antimicrobial susceptibility of a large panel of non-pathogenic <jats:italic>Neisseria<\/jats:italic> species isolated from the oropharynx of two populations: a group of MSM attending a \u2018sexually transmitted infection\u2019 clinic in Bologna (Italy) (n=108) and a group of males representing a \u2018general population\u2019 (n=119). We collected 246 strains, mainly belonging to <jats:italic>N. subflava<\/jats:italic> (60%) and <jats:italic>N. flavescens<\/jats:italic> (28%) species. Their antimicrobial susceptibility was evaluated assessing the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, cefotaxime, and ceftriaxone using E-test strips. Overall, commensal <jats:italic>Neisseria<\/jats:italic> spp. showed high rates of resistance to azithromycin (90%; median MICs: 4.0 mg\/L), and ciprofloxacin (58%; median MICs: 0.12 mg\/L), whereas resistance to cephalosporins was far less common (&amp;lt;15%). <jats:italic>Neisseria<\/jats:italic> strains from MSM were found to have significantly higher MICs for azithromycin (p=0.0001) and ciprofloxacin (p&amp;lt;0.0001) compared to those from the general population. However, there was no significant difference in cephalosporin MICs between the two groups. The surveillance of the antimicrobial resistance of non-pathogenic <jats:italic>Neisseria<\/jats:italic> spp. could be instrumental in predicting the risk of the spread of multi-drug resistant gonorrhea. This information could be an early predictor of an excessive use of antimicrobials, paving the way to innovative screening and prevention policies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fcimb.2023.1308550","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,23]],"date-time":"2023-11-23T15:54:35Z","timestamp":1700754875000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":24,"title":["Non-pathogenic Neisseria species of the oropharynx as a reservoir of antimicrobial resistance: a cross-sectional study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Valeria","family":"Gaspari","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marielle Ezekielle","family":"Djusse","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sara","family":"Morselli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luca","family":"Rapparini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Claudio","family":"Foschi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Simone","family":"Ambretti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tiziana","family":"Lazzarotto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bianca Maria","family":"Piraccini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Antonella","family":"Marangoni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"i3","DOI":"10.1136\/sti.78.suppl_1.i3","article-title":"Determinants of STD epidemics: implications for phase appropriate intervention strategies","volume":"78","author":"Aral","year":"2022","journal-title":"Sex Transm Infect."},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1128\/spectrum.02166-21","article-title":"The effects of smoking on human pharynx microbiota composition and stability","volume":"11","author":"Bach","year":"2023","journal-title":"Microbiol. 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