Two cases of gonorrhea that appear to be resistant to all types of antibiotics used to treat the infection have been discovered in the United States.
Around 700,000 people worldwide die each year from antibiotic-resistant infections, now for the first time antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea has been discovered in the United States, it reports CNN.
The spread of sexually transmitted diseases is increasing
Around the world, the spread of sexually transmitted diseases increased during the pandemic due to increased sexual activity and fewer people going for routine health screenings.
The infections, including gonorrhea, are becoming more and more resistant to the antibiotics available for treatment and this poses a serious threat to public health.
We have no new antibiotics
“It’s worrying that this particular strain has been circulating around the world, so it was only a matter of time before it hit the US,” says Jeffrey Klausner till CNN.
He is a clinical professor of public health at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles and sits on the CDC’s gonorrhea treatment task force.
He goes on to say that this is a reminder that gonorrhea is becoming increasingly resistant and increasingly difficult to treat.
“We have no new antibiotics. We haven’t had new antibiotics to treat gonorrhea in years and we really need a different treatment strategy,” he told CNN.
Recommended double dose
Gonorrhea is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which can infect the mucous membranes of the genitals, rectum, throat and eyes. It is one of the most commonly diagnosed infections in the United States.
The CDC recommended in 2021 that double the dose of the antibiotic Ceftriaxone to overcome the bacteria’s build-up of resistance to that antibiotic.
It seems to have worked, but Ceftriaxone is the last line of defense against gonorrhea and experts say new approaches are needed.
Can have gonorrhea without symptoms
The strain of gonorrhea now discovered in the United States has previously been discovered in Asia, the Pacific and in the United Kingdom.
Often, pain when urinating, abdominal or pelvic pain, increased vaginal discharge, or bleeding between periods are the first symptoms of gonorrhea.
However, many gonorrhea infections do not cause any symptoms, which is why it is important to have routine examinations to detect possible infections.
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Read more: Venereal diseases are decreasing in the pandemic [Dagens PS]
