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HNewsWire:

Massachusetts health officials revealed Thursday that they had uncovered two cases of a novel strain of gonorrhea that looks to be drug-resistant and is being investigated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to the state Department of Public Health (DPH), an unique strain of the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae "showed diminished sensitivity to several antibiotics," while another strain was discovered to have "genetic markers that indicate a similar treatment response," according to a news release.

Both cases were discovered in Massachusetts and were successfully treated with the antibiotic ceftriaxone, which is used to treat all types of gonorrhea. According to experts, the bacteria is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can cause infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease, and a variety of other health concerns.

According to officials, gonorrhea symptoms are typically absent or minimal, despite being the second most commonly reported STI in the United States behind chlamydia. According to CDC and FDA guidelines, "only ceftriaxone is recommended for treating gonorrhea in the United States" as of now.

The gonorrhea strain discovered recently in Massachusetts has never been detected in the United States previously. There have been reports of cases in Asia-Pacific and the United Kingdom.

"A genetic marker shared by these two citizens of Massachusetts was previously seen in a case in Nevada, however that strain retained sensitivity to at least one class of antibiotics." "Overall, these cases serve as a timely reminder that gonorrhea strains in the United States are becoming less susceptible to a limited arsenal of medicines," the DPH noted.

The DPH said in a statement that state health officials are now collaborating with the CDC to collect and test additional samples to determine whether the drug-resistant strain has spread further. The government will also do contact tracing.

"The identification of this strain of gonorrhea is a severe public health problem, which DPH, the CDC, and other health departments have been careful about detecting," Massachusetts Department of Public Health Director Margret Cooke said in a statement.

Cooke went on to say that officials are urging people to "frequently test for sexually transmitted illnesses," and that clinicians should "study the clinical warning and cooperate with our expanded monitoring efforts."

Further Information

According to CDC data, 2.5 million people in the United States reported cases of gonorrhea, syphilis, congenital syphilis, and chlamydia in 2021. According to preliminary CDC data, approximately 700,000 people were infected with the disease, with infections increasing by 45 percent between 2016 and 2020.

Meanwhile, academics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have indicated that drug-resistant gonorrhea has been studied for years. The government agency revised its treatment regimen in 2010 to include ceftriaxone and stated that officials would continue to "watch for the establishment of ceftriaxone resistance, which will be vital to assuring the sustained efficacy of prescribed regimens."

"We are approaching a point where [patients] may no longer respond" to ceftriaxone, according to Dr. Katherine Hsu, medical director at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. "We have very few—very few—options."

The fear is that we will reach a point where there are no solutions "Dr. Helen Boucher, the Tufts Medical health system's chief academic officer, told the site. "This is a common infection in young, healthy people... "There is only one thing, and it may no longer work."

Several doctors told the Boston Globe that if ceftriaxone no longer works against drug-resistant gonorrhea, there are other options. However, experts warn that these have more adverse effects and are less effective.

"We want to keep our alternatives," said Dr. Ruanne Barnabas, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital, adding that the current discovery is "important."

As a prophylactic against the bacterium, another antibiotic, azithromycin, can be added. Over the years, some people have reported adopting home remedies to treat the ailment, such as garlic, goldenseal, and apple cider vinegar.

Researchers have sought novel antibiotics, such as zoliflodacin, which is now being tested in clinical trials. The FDA has not yet authorized it.