Penicillin class gonorrhea drug introduced about 70 years ago lost its power against the sexually transmitted disease. Class 1, 2, and 3 were also rendered useless by continual development of Neisseria gonorrhoeae drug-resistant strains. All of cephalosporin-class antibiotics, the class 4, which is the last remaining effective gonorrhea treatment is also now losing grip as an extremely drug-resistant gonorrhea strain emerged.
Dubbed as H041, the gonorrhea superbug, first identified in Japan, is resistant to all cephalosporin-class antibiotics. Experts are alarmed that if no immediate effective treatment is developed, it will spread rapidly. In other countries, such as Canada, health agencies are not aware of any existence of the superbug as of now. Significantly, the best teams of men and women in nursing scrubs and lab coats from different countries are expected to hand over reports in the coming months.
Gonorrhea is a genital disease considered to be among the most common sexually transmitted bacterial disease. Caused by gonococcus bacterium, gonorrhea causes inflammation of the genital mucous membrane, burning pain when urinating, and a discharge. Chronic gonorrhea is associated with neonatal infections, infertility, increased risk of ectopic pregnancy, and chronic pelvic pain. People with gonorrhea are also more likely to infect or get infected with HIV/AIDS. Expectant mothers can also pass on to the child the disease during delivery. It can also cause blindness, joint infection and fatal blood infection in the baby.
