Hollywood, California – Health officials in Hollywood, California, have issued warnings about the rise of drug-resistant gonorrhea. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has noted the increasing resistance of gonorrhea to antibiotic drugs, including the frontline drug ceftriaxone. A recent study from researchers in China has raised further concerns, showing a nearly tripled prevalence of ceftriaxone-resistant strains of gonorrhea bacterial isolates between 2017 and 2021.
The study, published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, found that around 8 percent of the nearly 3,000 bacterial isolates collected in 2022 showed resistance to ceftriaxone, up from under 3 percent in 2017. While these percentages may seem low, they are significantly higher compared to other countries like the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Ceftriaxone is currently the last drug available in the U.S. for treating gonorrhea, as the bacteria has developed resistance to previous antibiotics over the years. The rapid spread of ceftriaxone-resistant isolates in China is particularly alarming, with some provinces reporting prevalence rates above 25 percent. The study highlights the urgent need for a comprehensive approach to address antibiotic-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae globally.
The findings underscore the importance of collaborative efforts to monitor and mitigate the spread of these resistant strains internationally. The study’s limitations include undercounts of actual cases, lack of detailed case data, and the need for further research to identify specific risk factors for resistance development. However, researchers emphasize that urgent action is needed to combat the growing threat of untreatable gonorrhea.