Call to action for resistant gonorrhea

Call to action for resistant gonorrhea

The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for urgent action to prevent the spread of "untreatable gonorrhea" around the world. The concern is based on reports from several countries, including Japan, United Kingdom, Australia, France, Sweden, and Norway, of gonorrhea that is resistant to cephalosporin antibiotics — the last remaining treatment option. According to WHO, more than 100 million people are infected with gonorrhea annually, and the world is faced with "dwindling treatment options." WHO is calling for greater vigilance on the correct use of antibiotics and more research into alternative treatment regimens for gonococcal infections. The agency also calls for increased monitoring and reporting of resistant strains as well as better prevention, diagnosis, and control of gonococcal infections. Single-dose treatment to assure adherence is also important as is the treatment of partners. WHO also stresses education and prevention, with special attention to high-risk groups such as sex workers and men who have sex with men. Cephalosporin-resistant gonorrhea has not been reported in the United States yet, but surveillance systems are in place. According to a recent CDC editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine, "It is time to sound the alarm. During the past 3 years, the wily gonococcus has become less susceptible to our last line of antimicrobial defense..." (N Engl J Med 2012; 366:485-487).