An antibiotic-resistant strain of ‘super gonorrhoea’ is spreading around the globe
The first three cases of ‘super gonorrhea’ were recorded earlier this year, and other antibiotic-resistant superbugs are spreading around the world
Jeremy Berke
A strain of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea has arrived — the first three cases were recorded between February and April of this year.
Gonorrhoea is a bacterial infection that’s the second most commonly diagnosed STI in the world. Symptoms include painful urination and abnormal discharge in both women and men, as well as painful or swollen testicles in men and lower abdomen pain and irregular menstruation in women. Some people, however, may carry gonorrhoea without showing any symptoms.
There was a total of 468,514 gonorrhoea cases in the US alone in 2016, according to the Centre for Disease Control.
Gonorrhoea is normally treated with one of two commonly used antibiotics: azithromycin or ceftriaxone. Getting treatment for the infection is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of the disease, according to the ECDC. Leaving it untreated, however, can lead to serious complications like pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and increased risk of HIV transmission (not to mention the possibility of spreading it to other people).