International: The Two-Way Gonorrhea Is Becoming Untreatable

Internationalthe Two Waygonorrhea Is Becoming Untreatable Unhealth

Internationalthe Two Waygonorrhea Is Becoming Untreatable Unhealth

INTERNATIONAL the two-way Gonorrhea Is Becoming Untreatable, U.N. Health Officials Warn August 30, 2016 · 5:12 PM ET REBECCA HERSHER A microscope image, magnified 600 times, of the bacteria that cause the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea. BSIP/UIG via Getty Images We are running out of ways to treat gonorrhea, the World Health Organization ON AIR NOW NPR 24 Hour Program Stream announced today. The U.N. health agency released new guidelines warning doctors that it no longer recommends an entire class of antibiotics, quinolones, because quinolone-resistant strains of the disease have emerged all over the world. S H O TS - H E A LT H N E W S Gonorrhea Evades Antibiotics, Leaving Only One Drug To Treat Disease Instead, the health agency recommends using cephalosporins, another class of antibiotic.

The new protocol replaces guidelines that had not been changed since 2003. According to the WHO, 78 million people are infected with gonorrhea every year. Worldwide, health officials are concerned that overuse of antibiotics for other infections, such as urinary tract infections, will lead to widespread, untreatable strains of gonorrhea. In 2011, a super-resistant strain showed up in Japan. As NPR's Rob Stein has reported: "Gonorrhea has been plaguing humanity for centuries.

But ever since penicillin came along a dose of antibiotics would usually take care of the disease. "'Gonorrhea used to be susceptible to penicillin, ampicillin, tetracycline and doxycycline — very commonly used drugs,' said Jonathan Zenilman, who studies infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins. "But one by one, each of those antibiotics — and almost every new one that has come along since — eventually stopped working. One reason is that the bacterium that causes gonorrhea can mutate quickly to defend itself, Zenilman said. "'If this was a person, this person would be incredibly creative,' he said.

'The bug has an incredible ability to adapt and just develop new mechanisms of resisting the impact of these drugs.'" The WHO shift to the new class of antibiotics will not fix that overall problem of bacterial creativity. In some countries, strains of gonorrhea are already resistant to the newly recommended class of drugs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned back in 2012 that one of two drugs in the class of antibiotics the WHO now recommends, cephalosporins, was in danger of becoming useless to treat gonorrhea, at least in the U.S, and recommended that doctors stop prescribing it. Since then, the CDC's recommended treatment for gonorrhea has been a dual therapy, with the two antibiotics ceftriaxone and azithromycin, but an analysis in July warned that the bacteria could even become resistant to that combination.

S H O TS - H E A LT H N E W S Despite Rise Of Superbugs, Syphilis Still Has A Kryptonite As for when antibiotic options will run out altogether, Teodora Wi of the WHO's Department of Reproductive Health and Research tells the journal Science, "We will have to have new drugs in 5 years, I think." The U.S. government is spending millions of dollars through the CDC and National Institutes of Health to develop new antibiotics and combat resistance. The WHO also revised its guidelines for treating two other sexually transmitted infections, chlamydia and syphilis. Neither is facing severe antibiotic resistance. Syphilis, for example, can be treated with a single dose of penicillin, although there is a worldwide shortage of the drug.

Although all three sexually transmitted diseases affect both men and women, they can have particularly devastating effects on women if they are not treated. Gonorrhea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and lead to dangerous ectopic pregnancies. Syphilis can pass from a pregnant woman to her fetus, and chlamydia can make it difficult for a woman to get pregnant. stds gonorrhea world health organization PUBLIC HEALTH shots Gonorrhea Evades Antibiotics, Leaving Only One Drug To Treat Disease Listen · 3:59 Download Transcript Queue August 9, 2012 · 3:32 PM ET Heard on All Things Considered ROB STEIN ON AIR NOW NPR 24 Hour Program Stream Health officials say they're worried that one day there will be no more antibiotics left to treat gonorrhea. iStockphoto.com There's some disturbing news out today about a disease we don't hear about much these days: gonorrhea.

Federal health officials announced that the sexually transmitted infection is getting dangerously close to being untreatable. As a result, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines for how doctors should treat gonorrhea. The guidelines are designed to keep one of the remaining effective antibiotics useful for as long as possible by restricting the use of the other drug that works against the disease. "We are sounding the alarm," said Gail Bolan, who heads the CDC's division of STD prevention. Gonorrhea has been plaguing humanity for centuries.

But ever since penicillin came along a dose of antibiotics would usually take care of the disease. "Gonorrhea used to be susceptible to penicillin, ampicillin, tetracycline and doxycycline — very commonly used drugs," said Jonathan Zenilman, who studies infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins. "But one by one, each of those antibiotics — and almost every new one that has come along since — eventually stopped working. One reason is that the bacterium that causes gonorrhea can mutate quickly to defend itself, Zenilman said. "If this was a person, this person would be incredibly creative," he said.

'The bug has an incredible ability to adapt and just develop new mechanisms of resisting the impact of these drugs.'" The WHO shift to the new class of antibiotics will not fix that overall problem of bacterial creativity. In some countries, strains of gonorrhea are already resistant to the newly recommended class of drugs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned back in 2012 that one of two drugs in the class of antibiotics the WHO now recommends, cephalosporins, was in danger of becoming useless to treat gonorrhea, at least in the U.S, and recommended that doctors stop prescribing it. Since then, the CDC's recommended treatment for gonorrhea has been a dual therapy, with the two antibiotics ceftriaxone and azithromycin, but an analysis in July warned that the bacteria could even become resistant to that combination.

S H O TS - H E A LT H N E W S Despite Rise Of Superbugs, Syphilis Still Has A Kryptonite As for when antibiotic options will run out altogether, Teodora Wi of the WHO's Department of Reproductive Health and Research tells the journal Science, "We will have to have new drugs in 5 years, I think." The U.S. government is spending millions of dollars through the CDC and National Institutes of Health to develop new antibiotics and combat resistance. The WHO also revised its guidelines for treating two other sexually transmitted infections, chlamydia and syphilis. Neither is facing severe antibiotic resistance. Syphilis, for example, can be treated with a single dose of penicillin, although there is a worldwide shortage of the drug.

Although all three sexually transmitted diseases affect both men and women, they can have particularly devastating effects on women if they are not treated. Gonorrhea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and lead to dangerous ectopic pregnancies. Syphilis can pass from a pregnant woman to her fetus, and chlamydia can make it difficult for a woman to get pregnant. stds gonorrhea world health organization PUBLIC HEALTH shots Gonorrhea Evades Antibiotics, Leaving Only One Drug To Treat Disease Listen · 3:59 Download Transcript Queue August 9, 2012 · 3:32 PM ET Heard on All Things Considered ROB STEIN ON AIR NOW NPR 24 Hour Program Stream Health officials say they're worried that one day there will be no more antibiotics left to treat gonorrhea. iStockphoto.com There's some disturbing news out today about a disease we don't hear about much these days: gonorrhea.

Paper For Above instruction

The rise of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea marks a critical challenge for global public health, illuminating the pressing need for innovative treatment strategies amid rapidly evolving bacterial resistance. Historically, gonorrhea has been effectively treated with antibiotics such as penicillin, tetracycline, and doxycycline. However, due to bacterial mutation and overuse of antibiotics for various infections, the causative agent of gonorrhea has developed resistance to most of these drugs, leaving only a few effective options. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new guidelines warning that quinolone antibiotics are no longer recommended worldwide due to widespread resistance. Currently, cephalosporins, particularly ceftriaxone and azithromycin, remain the primary treatments. Nevertheless, emerging resistance to these drugs in various countries signals an imminent threat of untreatable gonorrhea.

This situation underscores multiple core issues in infectious disease management: bacterial adaptability, antibiotic overuse, and the lag in developing new medications. The bacterium's ability to mutate quickly and develop resistance mechanisms challenges the sustainability of current antibiotic treatments. As highlighted by global health agencies, overuse of antibiotics for non-gonorrheal infections accelerates resistance development, emphasizing the necessity for prudent antibiotic stewardship. Furthermore, the disparity in treatment effectiveness reflects the urgent need for ongoing research and development to discover new antibiotics and alternative therapies.

The public health implications of untreatable gonorrhea are severe, including increased transmission rates, complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and ectopic pregnancies, especially in women. The potential for gonorrhea to become untreatable poses a threat comparable to antibiotic-resistant strains of other bacteria, such as multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. The decline in effective antibiotics necessitates a strategic response involving global cooperation, investment in research, and public education on antibiotic use. The WHO and CDC have undertaken efforts to revise treatment protocols, emphasizing combination therapies and encouraging responsible prescription practices to slow resistance spread.

Moreover, the development of new antibiotics is both complex and costly, often taking years before approval. Governments and organizations like the CDC and WHO are investing heavily in research to stay ahead of resistant strains. Cross-disciplinary approaches, including the use of bacteriophage therapy, probiotics, and immune modulation, are being explored as complementary or alternative solutions. Addressing the multifaceted challenge of antibiotic resistance in gonorrhea requires global coordination, surveillance, and commitment to novel science.

In conclusion, the emergence of untreatable gonorrhea reflects a broader crisis in the fight against bacterial infections. It calls for immediate action in antibiotic stewardship, increased funding for research, and innovative treatment modalities. Preventative strategies, public health education, and robust surveillance are crucial to controlling the spread and impact of resistant gonorrhea. The future of effective treatment hinges on our collective ability to develop new drugs, preserve existing antibiotics, and implement comprehensive health policies aimed at reducing unnecessary antibiotic use and slowing resistance development.

References

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  • Unemo, M., & Shafer, W. M. (2014). Antibiotic resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae: origin, evolution, and mechanisms of resistance. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 90(2), 73-80.
  • Cole, M. J., & Spiteri, G. (2018). The challenge of antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Current Infectious Disease Reports, 20(2), 10.
  • Unemo, M., & De La Torre, B. (2018). Antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea in the 21st century: resistance mechanisms, molecular epidemiology, and management strategies. Current Infectious Disease Reports, 20(12), 55.
  • Lewis, D. A. (2017). Antibiotic resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Microbiology Spectrum, 5(4).
  • Ostergaard, L., et al. (2013). The clinical relevance of antimicrobial resistance in gonorrhea. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 26(4), 688-711.
  • Hook, E. W., & Pianciola, L. (2019). Strategies for controlling gonorrhea: antibiotic stewardship and surveillance. Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy, 17(6), 469-477.
  • John, P., & Löffler, M. (2019). Novel approaches to combat antimicrobial resistance in gonorrhea. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 17(9), 519–520.
  • World Health Organization. (2019). Report on global antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. WHO Publications.

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