In the past there were discussions focused on the fact that we may start to see people affected by strains of diseases that will become resistant to most drugs. Now it seems that our fears have become a reality since the UK has seen a number of reports coming in about people that have been infected by strains of gonorrhea that are resistant to drugs. If that is not frightening, then we do not know what is.
What is going on?
If someone comes in infected by gonorrhea doctors can usually treat this STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) with a combination of common medicines. However, now they are baffled to see that what they used in the past to treat this infection is not working anymore. It can now fight the antibiotics.
The first case of gonorrhea resistant to drugs comes from one young heterosexual man from the UK who only reported having sex with one female sexual partner in the UK and one female sexual partner in Southeast Asia. When doctors tried to treat him they found that the disease did not respond to the same medication that is usually used to treat it. It could not be treated by using azithromycin, ceftriaxone, or even spectinomycin.
As a last resort, doctors gave the man ertapenem, an antibiotic that is so powerful that it is only used in patients that suffer from very serious infections. It remains to be seen if this one will work.
Since gonorrhea is one of the most common STI’s worldwide, doctors are starting to wonder if an infection of drug-resistant gonorrhea is not already happening. And if it is, what is it going to take to make it go away. Even worse, what if the strongest antibiotic kills it but then, in a couple of years, we find ourselves seeing cases of people infected by gonorrhea that is resistant to our strongest antibiotic as well?
