To analyze changes in sensitivity of clinical strains of Ureaplasma urealyticum (Uu) to 9 kinds of common antibiotics from 2017 to 2018.

The results of drug sensitivity testing of clinical Uu strains, which were isolated from 19 431 patients in Laboratory of Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) , Department of Dermatology and Venereology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University from 2007 to 2018, were analyzed retrospectively. Of the 19 431 patients, 6 076 were males, and 13 355 were females. Their age ranged from 15 to 68 years. The tested antibiotics included minocycline, doxycycline, erythromycin, azithromycin, clarithromycin, roxithromycin, ciprofloxacin, sparfloxacin and levofloxacin.

Resistance rates of clinical Uu strains to minocycline and doxycycline gradually decreased from 10.08% and 10.42% in 2007 to 1.15% and 2.61% in 2018, respectively, while sensitivity rates to minocycline and doxycycline gradually increased from 85.88% and 87.56% in 2007 to 97.02% and 96.42% in 2018, respectively. The resistance rate and sensitivity rate of clinical Uu strains to erythromycin fluctuated greatly during 2014—2017, with the resistance rate fluctuating around 20%, and the sensitivity rate fluctuating around 50%. The resistance rate of clinical Uu strains to azithromycin dropped rapidly from 42.02% in 2007 to 8.39% in 2011, and then fluctuated slightly around 10%. However, the sensitivity rate to azithromycin increased from 8.40% in 2007 to 86.05% in2011, and remained above 80% from then on to 2018. During 2007—2018, Uu strains showed low resistance rates (10%-20%) and high sensitivity rates to clarithromycin (80%-90%) , and the resistance and sensitivity rates to roxithromycin were similar to those to erythromycin. Uu strains showed constantly high resistance to ciprofloxacin (more than 80% after 2013) and low sensitivity (persistently less than 10%) . The sensitivity rate of clinical Uu strains to sparfloxacin fluctuated around 40%, while the resistance rate was maintained below 10% after 2011. The resistance and sensitivity rates of Uu strains to levofloxacin were similar to sparfloxacin, but the sensitivity rate to levofloxacin was relatively lower, which had been maintained at about 30%.

From 2007 to 2018, clinical Uu strains maintained a relatively stable low resistance rate and a high sensitivity rate to minocycline, doxycycline and clarithromycin, a high resistance rate and low sensitivity rate to ciprofloxacin, and a low resistance rate and sensitivity rate to sparfloxacin and levofloxacin; a relatively stable low resistance rate and a high sensitivity rate to azithromycin were achieved only after 2011; the resistance rate and sensitivity rate to erythromycin and roxithromycin fluctuated greatly.

Ureaplasma; Microbial sensitivity tests; Anti-bacterial agents; Drug tolerance; Ureaplasma urealyticum