Horrified! Cases of Antibiotic-Resistant Gonorrhea Increase Three-fold in China

Horrified! Cases of Antibiotic-Resistant Gonorrhea Increase Three-fold in China

Citizens in China. (Illustration photo: REUTERS/Tingshu Wang)

 - Researchers in China report that cases of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea have tripled in just five years. "This is a warning to the whole world," said researchers quoted by US News. Strains that are resistant to first-line treatment are Ceftriaxone and several other antibiotics. However, because it is drug-resistant, the disease needs to be monitored to reduce its spread. 

"(Gonorrhea) has spread internationally and collaborative efforts across borders will be essential, to monitor and reduce its further spread," wrote a team led by Dr Shao-Chun Chen, from the Academy of Medical Sciences in Nanjing, China. 

A single intramuscular injection of ceftriaxone is the first treatment recommended for gonorrhea in China and the United States. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cases of Ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhea are currently very rare in the United States. 

However, that could change. According to the latest data, in 2022 the prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection, the bacterial strain that causes gonorrhea, in China which is resistant to ceftriaxone is 8.1 percent (cases). 

"That's roughly three times more than 2017's 2.9 percent," the new study found. In cases like these, switching to another antibiotic may not be of much use. The team from China found that gonorrhea strains were resistant to other antibiotics with a prevalence of up to 97.6 percent, depending on the type of antibiotic. 

"This new data comes from monitoring trends in drug-resistant gonorrhea cases in 13 different provinces in China from 2017 to 2022. Drug-resistant types of gonorrhea were more common in some provinces than others," the researchers said. 

According to Chen's team, it is important to determine the factors that may be driving the emergence and spread of drug-resistant strains of gonorrhea. That includes overuse of antibiotics, which can trigger dangerous viral mutations. 

The findings were published March 28 in the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 

Symptoms of gonorrhea can vary, depending on the individual and the level of severity. According to the CDC, many people with gonorrhea have no symptoms or the symptoms are so mild that they go unnoticed or are mistaken for another infection. 

For women, the symptoms of gonorrhea often do not show clear signs. Meanwhile, men may experience these symptoms. 

Untreated gonorrhea in women can cause long-term and serious complications, such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This condition can cause infertility, chronic stomach pain, and scarring of the uterus or fallopian tubes. 

However, according to the CDC, gonorrhea symptoms in women usually include:

White or yellow vaginal discharge that can be accompanied by a strong odor

Pain or burning when urinating

Abdominal or pelvic pain

Bleeding between periods

In contrast to women, men almost always experience symptoms and usually seek testing immediately. Symptoms of gonorrhea that men may experience, such as:

Painful urination

Discharge from the penis, usually white, yellow or green. Can be thick or thin

Swollen or painful testicles

Fever

In men, if left untreated, gonorrhea can cause inflammation of the tubes leading to the testicles, causing infertility. The American Sexual Health Association also reports inflammation of the prostate and scarring of the urethra as symptoms of untreated gonorrhea in men. 

- Researchers in China report that cases of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea have tripled in just five years. "This is a warning to the whole world," said researchers quoted by US News. Strains that are resistant to first-line treatment are Ceftriaxone and several other antibiotics. However, because it is drug-resistant, the disease needs to be monitored to reduce its spread. 

"(Gonorrhea) has spread internationally and collaborative efforts across borders will be essential, to monitor and reduce its further spread," wrote a team led by Dr Shao-Chun Chen, from the Academy of Medical Sciences in Nanjing, China. 

A single intramuscular injection of ceftriaxone is the first treatment recommended for gonorrhea in China and the United States. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cases of Ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhea are currently very rare in the United States. 

However, that could change.

According to the latest data, in 2022 the prevalence of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection, the bacterial strain that causes gonorrhea, in China which is resistant to ceftriaxone is 8.1 percent (cases). "That's roughly three times more than 2017's 2.9 percent," the new study found. 

In cases like these, switching to another antibiotic may not be of much use. The team from China found that gonorrhea strains were resistant to other antibiotics with a prevalence of up to 97.6 percent, depending on the type of antibiotic. 

"This new data comes from monitoring trends in drug-resistant gonorrhea cases in 13 different provinces in China from 2017 to 2022. Drug-resistant types of gonorrhea were more common in some provinces than others," the researchers said. 

According to Chen's team, it is important to determine the factors that may be driving the emergence and spread of drug-resistant strains of gonorrhea. That includes overuse of antibiotics, which can trigger dangerous viral mutations. 

The findings were published March 28 in the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 

Symptoms of gonorrhea can vary, depending on the individual and the level of severity. According to the CDC, many people with gonorrhea have no symptoms or the symptoms are so mild that they go unnoticed or are mistaken for another infection. 

For women, the symptoms of gonorrhea often do not show clear signs. Meanwhile, men may experience these symptoms. 

Untreated gonorrhea in women can cause long-term and serious complications, such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This condition can cause infertility, chronic stomach pain, and scarring of the uterus or fallopian tubes. 

However, according to the CDC, gonorrhea symptoms in women usually include:

White or yellow vaginal discharge that can be accompanied by a strong odor

Pain or burning when urinating

Abdominal or pelvic pain

Bleeding between periods

In contrast to women, men almost always experience symptoms and usually seek testing immediately. Symptoms of gonorrhea that men may experience, such as:

Painful urination

Discharge from the penis, usually white, yellow or green. Can be thick or thin

Swollen or painful testicles

Fever

In men, if left untreated, gonorrhea can cause inflammation of the tubes leading to the testicles, causing infertility. The American Sexual Health Association also reports inflammation of the prostate and scarring of the urethra as symptoms of untreated gonorrhea in men.