CDC: The rise of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea “appears imminent”
Topics: antibiotic resistance, cdC, gonorrhea, stds, Sustainability News
UPDATE 3/13/2014 5:45 PM ET: The CDC has reached out to clarify that ceftriaxone, a type of the antibiotic cephalosporin, is currently the only recommended treatment for gonorrhea, and that resistance to it has yet to emerge in the U.S.: “While our manuscript touched on the possible future emergence of resistance to this last-remaining treatment, it is critical to note that there have not been any instances in the U.S. of patients who have failed treatment with ceftriaxone.” More information about the CDC’s treatment recommendations can be found here.
Every year, there are about 820,000 cases of gonorrhea diagnosed in the U.S. And thanks to increasing antibiotic resistance, our ability to treat the sexually transmitted infection is becoming more and more difficult.
According to the CDC, rates of super-gonorrhea (called such not because it’s super awesome, but because it’s super resistant to treatment) are on the rise in a number of U.S. cities, including Denver, Honolulu, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle.
Penicillin and various tetracyclines are already ineffective against most of the prevalent strains. As the Verge informs us, “this means that today’s gonorrhea patient has very few treatment options left” for symptoms that may include “burning, swelling of the testicles, vaginal discharge and anal itching.”
And one of those few remaining treatment options, the antibiotic cephalosporin, is probably on its way out as well. Here’s more from the Verge:
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