Addressing the Threat of Gonorrhea resistance to antibiotics and drugs

While at its STD Prevention Conference in Atlanta, the United States CDC said that samples of gonorrhea were obtained from seven Honolulu patients last spring and they indicated a resistance to azithromycin at levels far much higher than ever recorded before.

Data from the collected Samples

Of the 7 samples, five indicated a rising resistance to ceftriaxone, usually administered in conjunction with another antibiotic, azithromycin, following a recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention said that the US has just recorded its first cases of drugs indicating an emerging trend of gonorrhea resisting azithromycin. He added that the said ceftriaxone still has an impact on the infections.

He explained, "Our last line of defense against gonorrhea is weakening," Mermin said in a statement. "If resistance continues to increase and spread, current treatment will ultimately fail and 800,000 Americans a year will be at risk for untreatable gonorrhea."

Should we lose hope with Gonorrhea resistance to antibiotics?

Well, remain hopeful because at the same conference, Louisiana State University researchers reported that they are currently developing oral antibiotic that could help with gonorrhea treatment.

The common means of infection for this bacterial infection is unprotected sex be it vaginal, anal or oral. In 2014 alone, more than over 350,000 new cases were reported in the U.S. according to statistics provided by the CDC. However, the body fears these numbers could be much higher as a result of most people suffering in silence. The most risk group is the young aged 24 and below.

Some of the symptoms associated with gonorrhea are pain while urinating for the men. This is usually accompanied with a green or yellow discharge from the penis while the testicles remain swollen and painful.

The women on the other hand express mild to no symptoms at all. In most cases, the disease may be mistaken for a bladder or vaginal infection. That makes STD testing a vital step in one’s health care.

Effects Gonorrhea resistance to antibiotics on one’s health

Gonorrhea impacts individuals from mild to more life-threatening levels. One may suffer from pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility and tubal pregnancy (life-threatening). If it is not detected, it can be passed to the newborn baby and cause more traumatizing effects.

The CDC has always recommended from 2012 that the two antibiotics be administered simultaneously: an injection of ceftriaxone combined with an oral dose of azithromycin. The aim to get guarantee, which the patient will be cured and more transmission curbed.

In 2006, 9 percent cases were being treated following this pattern but by 2014, over 97 percent infections followed the pattern in treatment.

"The future risk of gonorrhea becoming resistant to both of the recommended therapy medications in the United States is troubling," said Dr. Alan Katz. He is a professor of public health at the University of Hawaii and member of the Hawaii State Board of Health.

Hawaii is leading when it comes to the resistance. "We've been one of the first states to see declining effectiveness of each drug over the years," said Katz. "That's made us extremely vigilant, so we were able to catch this cluster early and treat everyone found who was linked to the cluster."

But a new experimental antibiotic, ETX0914, provides more as explained by the researchers. "We are very pleased with these results, and look forward to seeing ETX0914 advance through additional clinical studies,” said Dr. Stephanie Taylor. He is a lead author in the study and also professor medicine and microbiology at Louisiana State.

Contributor: admin