Spread of Super-Gonorrhoea, Big concern

Spread of Super Gonorrhoea – Big Concern

The spread of super gonorrhoea all across England and to gay men has given rise to great concern among the doctors. Last year, the new superbug provoked a national alert when it emerged in Leeds as one of the foremost treatments became hopeless against it. Public Health England admits the measure of containing the outbreak has been of limited success. Instances of super-gonorrhoea have been identified in the West Midlands, London and southern England.

Around 34 cases have been confirmed officially in laboratory testing though this is probably to be the tip of the iceberg of an infection which could be without any symptoms. The outbreak began with couples but is now seen in gay men as well. There is also a possibility of having gonorrhoea in the throat and further resistance is likely to develop as the antibiotics tend to get to the throat in lower doses and the area gets packed with other bacteria which can share the resistance to drugs.

The bacterium which causes gonorrhoea is said to be very proficient at shrugging off our best antibiotics.Drugs azithromycin and ceftriaxone are used in combination. However, now resistance to azithromycin has been spreading and doctors are apprehensive and it is only a matter of time before ceftriaxone tends to fail too.

Due to Bacterium – Neisseria Gonorrhoeae

The condition is said to be due to the bacterium known as Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Those who have been infected, about one in 10 heterosexual men and more than three quarters of women and gay men have no recognisable symptoms.However, symptoms could include a thick green or yellow discharge form sexual organs, pain while urinating and bleeding between periods.

Infection which is not treated could lead to infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease and could be passed on to a child during pregnancy. Senior doctors in England have already cautioned that gonorrhoea is on the point of being untreatable.

Dr Gwenda Hughes, head of the sexually transmitted infection unit at Public Health England had stated that they cannot afford to be complacent. She further added that if strains of gonorrhoea tend to emerge which are resistant to azithromycin and ceftriaxone, the options of treatment would be limited as there is presently no new antibiotic available in treating the infection.

Antibiotics to Be Prescribed Only When Necessary

She has been motivating people in practicing safe sex to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections. There is also an intensive campaign in finding the sexual partners of people having the superbug. But the Public Health England report admits that so far, this has been of limited success.

 From the 50 sexual partners reported, around 22 had been successfully followed up though disturbingly 94% of partners that were tested had the infection. The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV stated that there needs to be a rapid response to the infection and has cautioned its members to be alert. Dr. Elizabeth Carlin, its president had stated that `the spread of high level azithromycin resistant gonorrhoea is a huge concern and it is essential that every effort is made to contain further spread. Failure to respond appropriately will jeopardise the ability to treat gonorrhoea effectively and will lead to poorer health outcomes for individuals as well as society as a whole’.

Jeremy Hunt, Health Secretary had said that he wants to see antibiotics being prescribed only when necessary and hopes this will be a new weapon to help GPs in cutting the number of antibiotics needlessly being given out.