Resistance Arrest

According to the Associated Press, the CDC has announced that in some U.S. cities almost 1/4 of cases of gonorrhea in heterosexual men are now drug resistant. This represents a major public health crisis. Gonorrhea is an incredibly common infection. There are more than 300,000 confirmed cases each year, and scientists estimate that the actual number of cases is closer to 700,000. Although gonorrhea is frequently asymptomatic, it can have serious health consequences, such as infertility. In order to address the problem of drug resistance, the CDC has changed the treatment guidelines for gonorrhea; however, officials are worried. There's only one class of drugs left that is still effective against all types of gonorrhea, and there are no new options waiting on the horizon. What can you do to help? The most important thing is to take any antibiotic prescription exactly as written, and always finish your pills. For more information, see my earlier post on drug resistant bacteria - Resistant is Futile.