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 Gonorrhea bacteria causes a sexually-transmitted infection in about 106 million people worldwide each year.
June 6th, 2012
01:13 PM ET
WHO: Sexually-transmitted superbug could be major crisisA major public health crisis is emerging, in the form of a sexually-transmitted disease that doesn't respond to antibiotics, World Health Organization officials said Wednesday. Gonorrhea is one of the most common sexually-transmitted infections. It is spread through oral, vaginal and anal sex. About 106 million people worldwide become infected every year. "Once this organism develops full resistance to this last antibiotic that we have, we have nothing else to offer to these patients," says Dr. Manjula Lusti-Narasimhan, scientist at the Department of Reproductive Health and Research at WHO. The organization has just released a global action plan encouraging greater awareness and advocacy, research, increased prevention efforts and monitoring of gonorrhea treatment failure. The same sorts of prevention messages apply for gonorrhea as for HIV/AIDS: Practice safe sex - correct and consistent use of condoms - and limit the number of sexual partners. Australia, France, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom are among the countries reporting cases of gonorrhea that does not respond to cephalosporin antibiotics, which is the last treatment option against gonorrhea. These are developed countries with good health care systems, meaning countries less well off may be even more at risk for a crisis. "If the resistence is there, what we think is that we’re sitting at a tip of an iceberg," Lusti-Narasimhan said. "For places in many other parts of the world where there are much less both human and financial resources, it’s very difficult to know the extent of the data." The consequences of an untreated infection are harsh. In both men and women, it can cause infertility. Up to half of babies born from mothers with gonorrhea have severe eye infections, which could lead to blindness. Women who are pregnant may have spontaneous abortions or ectopic pregnancies. If the bacteria gets to other parts of the body, joint pain, swelling and stiffness are possible. The WHO does not know the extent of the spread of drug-resistant gonorrhea yet. The infections don't seem to be as resistant in the United States as in some of the other countries, but there is increased susceptibility, Lusti-Narasimhan said. More surveillance is needed globally to fully assess how widespread these resistant infections are. Bacteria may become resistant to antibiotics as a result of overuse or improper use of antimicrobial agents as well as poor-quality versions of these drugs. Strains of gonorrhea in particular appear to have a particularly good ability to become resistant.
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Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love. Recent Comments
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Sadly enough , through the years as I have worked as a DIS (disease intervention specialist) I have seen a few diseases become MDR ( multi drug resistent). These are usually seen in people that get the same disease over and over again. Most think that the same medication will always work. It gets to the point that the infection basically laughs at the treatment. It seem that we are at that point with another disease.
OMG if got this disease once, I'd sew myself up – people repeatedly get this as though it's a cold? how fricken disgusting!
I am a virgin, I don't even date, not married, have no kids. HOW am I supposed to get this?
@lroy: From a tractor seat, of course. (That's a reference to a Seinfeld episode.)
Did you notice that CNN failed to mention abstinence as a way to avoid this?
I would assume it is a very effective means – exceeding all others in effectiveness.
It's not for everyone, but why must CNN inject politics into this issue?
They try to present news like they are trying to help you avoid this disease, but then skip the most obvious and effective means to avoid it.
@ lroy: oral sex for example
"It gets to the point that the infection basically laughs at the treatment."
I wanna see THAT!! any videos?
Ryan, any person who doesn't understand that the best way to not get a sexually transmitted disease is to not have sex deserves a good case of drug resistant gonorrhea.
I agree with Ryan from Texas! Our school and society are stupid not to teach this. Abstinence is the best way to avoid this and only having one sexual partner when married, your husband or wife.
@Ryan: s3x is a normal human desire and no sin, abstinence will fail eventually, even in Texas
As one of my shipmates found out, you can get gonorrhea of the throat from kissing an infected person.
@ Ryan in Texas. People are going to have sex. You can't stop that. CNN is not a church. Preaching abstinence would be just as political as not mentioning it, if not more. Conservatives preach abstinence and liberals just seem to not care one way or another. It is really not a big issue to them. Safe sex is. If people want to be abstinent then that is awesome. I respect that. However, if you want to have abstinence shoved down your throat go to FOX News or a rally for Rick Santorum.
@ Ryan in Texas, I'd say "limit the number of sexual partners" covers abstinence. Abstinence is when you limit the number of sexual partners to zero. Who is the one that's overly politicizing this? Maybe Conservapedia will do an article more to your liking.
Abstinence is taught exclusively in many schools, but it isn't very effective at reducing unwanted pregnancies and STIs. If you value abstinence, teach it to your kids. Schools should teach what is proven to work for the benefit of the common good.
sure, ryan in texas. welcome to the bristol palin school of abstinence.
"lroy
I am a virgin, I don't even date, not married, have no kids. HOW am I supposed to get this?"
After enough years of not dating and your loins burning for some adibity doobai, you will probably come across an equally willing participant.
@ Ryan in Texas. Abstinence is as good a solution for gonorrhea as saying that the best way to avoid food poisoning is not eating at all. Even if you just have sexual intercourse once in your life, you may get gonorrhea if don't use the proper measures. The only person that has a hidden agenda is you, spreading illogical information that might lead uninformed people such as Iroy to eventually get an STD. Do you know why? Because most people on Earth will have sex at some point in their life, and at that moment they will need to know the real ways of avoiding STDs, which are indeed metioned in the article.
Much the same myself having studied and worked in the field it certainly seems like drug resistant strains are becoming more and more prevalent.....VRE and of course the good old MRSA. Only matter of time before bugs like this developed. Too much reliance of antibiotics or people not following their treatment course (getting halfway through a course and saying "I feel fine I do not need to take the rest of these") is going to cause bigger and bigger problems.
Seems like no one on this blog has had gonorrhea. Be carefull out their. It's not a good feeling and yes I cought it in Viet Nam.
"THERE".
was that on monday or tueseday?
another side effect is that it seems to have also affected your ability to spell / use grammar.
Tom, before criticizing another for grammar, you should learn to use proper sentence structure. Your sentence should begin with a capital "A."
Completely preventable. It's called "keep it in your pants."
No, I haven't had gonorrhea and I can imagine it is not a pleasant experience but I think most of us here know where it comes from. A person doesn't need to practice abstinence but he or she should be very careful and practice safe sex and try to avoid casual sex with strangers. You got it because you were not careful. One sad fact, however, is that there are plenty of women out there who have gotten STDs from promiscous husbands.
i'm with tom. everything in lower case. but that "a" you're speaking of, curtis? should be in larry's "cought".
"The consequences of an untreated infection are harsh. In both men and women, it can cause infertility" – sounds to me like natural selection/population control.
It's easy to lack compassion on people with STD's, but then consider that even if you took precautions in your choices, you could still contract it if you were assaulted. And then I think you might take some offense at a lot of the comments here.
You know, J is right. That is the only way, but then again I very rarely venture out at night and am usually stay close to home during the day.
That is how I became a skeleton 😦 Good times!
Finally!!!! An explanation for Rush Limbaugh's stupidity.
Rush has more brains in his little pinky than any liberal has in their entire body.
i think you're thinking of syphillus which does eventually ruin the brain
If by brains you mean fat cells, then yes, yes he does.
petercha , the word you meant to use was "arrogance" not "brains". Unfortunately conservatives tend to confuse the two.
I suppose he could also have meant drugs. That I would agree with.
Mr. Limbaugh never progressed past high school. He is nothing more than a glorified DJ with a high school education, not an intellect worthy of any attention.
Petercha – yeah, he's so smart he figured out how to buy illegal drugs on the street and ruin his hearing with them. That's a smart guy, alright.
But wait...I thought being sexually responsible was out of vogue...only those crazy religious nut jobs concern themselves with abstinence and such.
cause and effect
Keep your legs closed, and think, that if you have sex you might catch gonorrhea, and perhaps many other diseases. Just play it safe. Of course in this day and age, where everywhere you turn, there is sex, in adds, in the movies, in the newspapers, our young generation has a lot on their shoulders, as to what is correct or not. The desire is there, the call of the flesh is hard to overlook.
"Keep your legs closed"??? How about "Keep your knob in your pants". Sheesh, you men always blaming/chastising women when your gender is the real issue.
You been talking to my mother? She always said, if you don't want to have sex, keep your legs closed, don't kiss...
Yes, Brother Andree! The call of the flesh is the voice of Satan! And yes, keeping the legs closed on the part of womankind will save humanity, as we all know that women are the source of all evil, corruption, and human failure, especially where sex is concerned! Let us, you and I, be glad for our masculinity, self-control and Internet privacy settings! Preach on, my brother, and bring the truth to the frail human sheep we must take such care over as their shepherds!!
Just eat lots of feed lot meat. It's loaded with all sorts of antibiotics. Heck, the meat industry uses 70% of all antibiotics sold in this country.
It's a heck of a leap, but you did it! Yay for bringing own agenda into every article out there
I am waiting to hear how it is Bush's fault.
hey math prof – you are funny but you probably have something there. I bet there's enough antibiotics to kill just about anything
He does have a good point...
Gonorrhea can be cured with a shot of penicillin. Not really a big deal.
Try reading the article slowly enough to improve your comprehension.
NO IT CAN NOT! Penicillin is one of the weakest antibiotics and can not and will not do a thing for any STD. With STD's building up immunities STRONGER antibiotics are used and this article is saying even those are not working now.
Hi, thanks for reading. The news today is that a strain of gonorrhea is spreading actually resistant to all antibiotics, including penicillin. Exercising caution is very important.
Regards,
Elizabeth Landau, CNN
just like these super bugs, there is no treatment for stupidity
Phearis –
you are the reason why we must improve the American school system. I am sorry you were a student under the current unionized shop culture. We promise, starting in Wisconsin to do better so that people will be able to understand articles and carrying on an intelligent conversation.
Moron. What part of "superbug" did you not understand? Read the article, or have someone explain it to you.
Darwin will take care of you
The others are right. Gonorrhea has been resistant to penicillin for a long time. Some STDs are treatable with Penicillin though, Syphillis is the best example of an instance of this.
There are many STDs but highly-resistant gonorrhea is bad news and expected. Gonorrhea has an uncanny ability to acquire resistance. Quinolones worked for awhile and then resistance emerged in Asia and spread to the US via Hawaii and California. This is just more of that trend.
DGupNorth, I'm sorry you have been so misled by conservative politicians, donors, and pundits. Wisconsin has an excellent public education system. Kids from WI score much better on national exams, including the SAT, than kids from the state where I live. Here in Texas, we don't have any teachers' unions. In fact, most of the states without teachers' unions have below average public education systems.
LOL... Uh, didn't READ the article, did we, Phearis? Its that kind of ignorance that leads to the problem.
Penicillin used to be administered for a lot of infections: strep throat for example and it worked great. I heard they stopped giving penicillin shots because they didn't want people getting immune to it because it was a strong antibiotic. True??
Cmon people this is just a myth, bacteria can't evolve resistance to anything because EVOLUTION ISN"T REAL
It must be intelligent design!
clearly it does because these germs have evolved and developed an immunity to what used to kill them, sounds a lot like they are adapting to their environment. and when you actually put a little effort into thinking about it, if creationism did exist and god put everything on this planet as it is today and then said "i'm done" how would you explain for this adaptation?????? you can't b/c your hocus pocus sky daddy is nothing more than a bronze myth.
I'm pretty sure Jake was being sarcastic, Voice.
humanity is the worst enemy of humanity. I have no faith in humanity, too bad I won't be around to prove I was right
Its not going to be very long, world population has already exceeded natural agricultural abilities. You will be around to say "I told you so" but its not going to be as funny as you think
What exactly is a "spontaneous abortion"?
A miscarriage.
Uhh, that would be Nancy Grace
talk about a sensationalist vocabulary
The term "spontaneous abortion" has been used for decades to mean "miscarriage". This is as opposed to an "induced abortion", which is what happens at an abortion clinic.
Early stage loss of a pregnancy is a spontaneous abortion, but only when it has not been artificially induced. A miscarriage occurs later in pregnancy when the fetus is larger & looks more like a full term baby. A stillbirth is a baby that is born dead at a stage when it normally could possibly survive.
Be careful when riding tractors in bathing suits!!!!
George is getting upset!!!
You don't get gonorrhea accidentally. It's a conscious decision to expose yourself. Live (0r die) with it.
People have been known to contract STIs through rape or because of cheating spouses.
What about someone who is assaulted or whose spouse has a past history?
STDs don't always happen from being irresponsible. I got herpes (which has no cure) from a woman I dated who either lied to me or didn't know she had it (either is possible). We were responsible, got STD tested -unfortunately, they generally only STD test for fatal STDs like AIDS and siphylis. Fortunately, it's dormant and I don't have frequent outbreaks and there are very effective treatments. This resistant gonorrhea sounds terrible.
JPC you're irresponsibility was having unprotected se x with a woman you seem not have known too well.
i
"You don’t get gonorrhea accidentally. It’s a conscious decision to expose yourself."
Is anything really an accident then?. As in, you can avoid a, say, car 'accident' by never exposing yourself to a car (which is a conscious choice) ... so it's not an accident by your logic.
mittens answer..... no more sex... it is against 'gods' will anyhow
If a spouse is SO irresponsible to "knowingly" have sex with the other spouse, then it should be a crime against humanity. You are not supposed to have sex until you're married anyway. I find it very difficult to have sympathy for someone who knowingly puts their health at risk. You don't wanna have STD, don't have sex...that's it.
Why don't we stop providing free STD prevention at places like Planned Parenthood and vote for a republican and just kill them for their "SIN"!?!??!
good point! Stupidity is a sin, so we might as well just start with you and get the ball rolling.....Seriously, think before you open your mouth – you may have the freedom of speech, but we have the freedom to judge you by the words you spew
I think Robin was being sarcastic.
Well If you can't take antibiotics for it your gonna have to resort to the treatment I saw on the Borgias the other night hehe
forget gono...how do you get rid of PINWORMS in youe crouch?????
Kerosene and a match. Put it on YouTube... we'd love to see it.
To get rid of pinworms:
1. Get over the counter Pinworm medicine at local drug store OR home remedy of (1/4 tsp of sulfur)
2. Change bedsheets and nightclothes frequently until infestation ceases
3. Clean your body promptly every morning to remove any eggs that may have been laid near your rectum overnight.
4. All users of bed / bedding should take medical treatment.
5. YES, home remedy does work. Sulfur has many uses, make sure you use "sublimed powder" and not research laboratory grade sulfur.
Was "tip of the ice berg" a play on words?
I suppose it refers to what it must be like having sex with Nancy Grace.
Getting an STD is not a crime. Knowing you have an STD and not informing your partner can be a felony. The CDC has the numbers which can only be obtained through reports from medical testing. I know the scarlet letter approach seems ludicrous, but I'd be lying if didn't admit I'd like to be able to see big bold letters written on the foreheads of these verminous offenders.
Well normally I'd be all "Woo score one for us monogamists!" but the way you people keep spreading diseases it's only a matter of time before it's airborne.
LOL. That cracked me up. I'm a young married woman and have had my friends joking with me since our teenage years about being a prude. All the while I've watched them experience unwanted pregnancies and STD's, but they will go to their graves defending casual s e x.
The ability to reason and understand consequences is what sets us apart from other species. When we let our hormones control us, we become animals. S E X is great, but like anything else is needs to be done responsibly.
uh, dee, we *are* animals.
Maybe if adults would stick to INFORMING adolescents, instead of condemning sinfulness, they would listen. Stuff your morality up your virgin bung holes, and just explain the risks. You know, like those s3x education courses that keep getting shot down by the sanctimonious. You cannot keep an adolescent in his or her s3xual prime from engaging in s3x by threats of damnation. Adolescents don't think they're EVER going to die, except by their own hands. Explain the facts, and make safety precautions readily available. And for Jehovah's sake, make sure they get better advice than that oral s3x is safer.
OK The risk is if you have se x with too many partners, eventually you will contract a disease that can kill you. The best method to prevent this is abstinence until marriage and monogamy after. There you are informed. Or are you still hoping the rules don't apply to you?
Mixed messages are the worst. Handing a kid a condom after a lecture on self-control is like giving him one bullet and a five shooter... That's right, 1 in 5 sexually active teens will get an STD this year. Feel lucky punk?
You cannot equate a condom with a bullet. Equate it with teaching people how to swim, but still making them wear life jackets on boats. ...or equoate it to bulletproof vests
Idiot.
A condom is A SAFETY MEASURE. You can try to teach kids tools for self control, but in case those tools fail, it's better to be prepared than end up with an STD or an unwanted pregnancy.
Well said Chris.
how about phage therapy? Anyone? Bueller?
Fornicating to the point of extinction is illogical. Vulcans use mental foreplay to climax.
The medical community has been abusing antibiotics for decades. For every little problem, antibiotics are prescribed. What happens is that antibiotics never kill the problem bug completely. There's always a tiny percentage of the bugs that mutate, and can become resistant to treatment. In each new try at using antibiotics, the bugs get stronger and more resistant until you have situations such as this. This is just one of dozens of infections that no longer respond to antibiotics. We're all worried about a comet or a supernova or a super volcano, when what is really going to wipe out the human race is too small to see with the naked eye.
The best way to ensure that you don't contract this disease is be in a monogamous relationship. So really, the old fashioned counsel again, turns out to be the best advise.
Sure, but dormancy can last 20 years. Try explaining that to your wife of 19 years.
Not too bright are you Jack? If someone waited to be in a mongamous relaionship, then they wouldn't have contracted an STD that could potentially remain dormant for 19 years.
more whites are fuuccking neggggors then ever now so we have a new super strain called the creeping gonorreah on hand.....white boys can't keep their joints out of black kuntts so that's what is going on!
Really hardDork? European sailors infected africans with STDs then slave traders brought them to America. The good thing about folks like you is eventually your stupidity will cause you to kill yourselves off.
Salsa cookies, windmill cookies, they give you gonorrhea! (Look it up!)
Yowsah!! I shoulda turned my"safe" filter on. I will give it a try though 😉
Put an aspirin between your knees and you won't get it.
Also, a great suggestion for muffin divers over 50 with heart conditions. You should send that one in to Maxm.
Mother Nature is always trying to correct imbalances, including overpopulation.
Oh this is just great, first I had to tell my sister that I might have given her Gonorrhea NOW I have to tell her I might have given her a superbug! Sometimes likfe just sucks!
Don't worry son... Dear old dad got there long before your testes dropped.
STDS on the rise among nuns
"These are developed countries with good health care systems, meaning countries less well off may be even more at risk for a crisis" --- Sorry Elizabeth Landau, drug resistant bacters can appear only in areas with lots of drugs. For them, countries with no drugs are not "even more at risk" at all, it is the exact opposite – drug resistant bacteria does not exist in these areas. Even when imported there, they will in time lose their resistance because evolution will remove it as unnecessary burden.
False. Of course those in underdeveloped countries have to deal with this problem too, ever hear of planes?
To Governor William Phips, I am sorry to disappoint you but I am a female, Andrée with two ee is feminine, one e is masculine, now that the French lesson is over. I do agree with you, also my thoughts are that parents should teach their children the ABC of sex and put the fear of the devil in them, and not let the schools do the job, as it is the parent's job.
WHO aren't you people supposed to be doing research and staying ahead of game per say DO YOU DAMN JOB!!!
Abstinence and condoms both work. Most persons will have sex. The problem with many abstinance-only programs is that they falsely and inappropriately disparage condom use. For the vast majority of folks condom use is the practical method of prevention. To discourage this contributes to the problem.
Well said. There's nothing wrong with abstinence, but it's not a one-size-fits-all cure.
the only thing that contributes to this problem is promiscuity. take promiscuity away and nobody will get an STD.
Herpes is even more prevalent. Something like 1 in 6 people have it. Be careful who you are smooching with.
Sexualy transmitted deseaes are never publicy talked about. Also your partner may not show any symptoms but be a carrier for the desease just waiting to give you the forever gift.
But it's ok Planned parent hood and Sandra Fluke are more than willing to ensure you have free contraception.
I must be a superhero because I
have these superbugs!
Evolution
sounds like it was cooked up in a lab for population control just like aids
i bet the Bilderberg group is rubbing its hands over this one.
classic problem reaction solution
I ain't scurred. I'd rather be dead than abstinent. We're here to bump uglies. This is just nature's way of thinning us out.
gonorreah is caused mainly when white men have sex ith black women.
Avoid the clap, don't forget to wrap.
Looks yummy . . . where can I sign up?
Governments have no money for research into new antibiotics. Companies will put no money into it! Nice!
Thanks, Spock, for giving me a serious case of the chuckles!
Hey Whopper – you think abstinence doesn't work? Well, let me tell ya, two of my three kids (all within marriage, to the same person) were conceived as a result of what you might term a "wardrobe malfunction." I don't think we could have done any worse with natural family planning, and probably better. It has an efficacy level greater than or equal to condoms these days. Really, I think the bottom line needs to be that people should be very selective in who they choose to sleep with, that it may become a matter of self-preservation to have to wait until marriage. Just as condoms aren't 100% against pregnancy, they aren't 100% against STDs, either.
Cheese Wonton – do we want to know where your shipmate kissed this infected person, exactly? 😉
Wonder whether it has anything to do with mass influx of immigrants from Easter Europe into some of the above mentioned countries.
Just sleep with virgins. Problem sovled.
Regarding abstinence. It's funny that this comes from TEXAS, where Abstinence Only is taught in schools, where they have defunded Planned Parenthood, and where it is so successful that they have the HIGHEST RATE OF TEEN PREGNANCY IN THE COUNTRY. That's something to be proud of They also have the 2nd highest rate of 2nd teenage pregnancies. They can't even learn from their mistakes. There are no other statistics you need to see that Abstinence Only DOES NOT WORK – to prevent pregnancies OR STD's. DUH. For CNN to list it here would be like saying if you get and STD you should "pray it away".
And the answer is.... autoeroticism. Safe, satisfying, non-smelly, and well beyond reach of the absurd political radar.
It could catch on.