STD May Be Turning Into 'Superbug

A strain of the bacteria that causes the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea is morphing into a “superbug” and may soon be resistant to all available treatment options, according to a scientist speaking at the Society for General Microbiology’s spring meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland. Gonorrhea is one of the most common STDS -- infecting about 700,000 Americans a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Catherine Ison, a microbiologist with the Health Protection Agency in London, told attendees at this year’s Society for General Microbiology meeting that the multi-drug resistance of the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhea is threatening to make the STD, which can infect not only the male and female genital regions, but also the mouth, throat and eyes, hard to treat. "Choosing an effective antibiotic can be a challenge because the organism that causes gonorrhea is very versatile and develops resistance to antibiotics very quickly," Ison said in a statement. "Penicillin was used for many years until it was no longer effective and a number of other agents have been used since. The current drugs of choice, ceftriaxone and cefixime, are still very effective but there are signs that resistance particularly to cefixime is emerging and soon these drugs may not be a good choice.” Dr. Laura Corio an obstetrician/gynecologist in private practice and affiliated with Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, told AOL Health the results of the study don't surprise her. "A lot of different diseases become resistant to antibiotics," she said. "Although gonorrhea may have responded to certain antibiotics in past, there's something in the means by which the bacteria functions that can change the anatomy of its kind and make it resistant to them now." Corio said she continually stresses safe sex to her patients to prevent gonorrhea and other STDs. "Condoms, condoms and more condoms -- that's what we say," she said. "They will definitely protect you against gonorrhea." Any sexually active person is at risk for gonorrhea, with the highest infection rates in the U.S. among teens, young adults and African Americans, according to the CDC. Most cases of gonorrhea are symptomless in women. In some cases, gonorrhea infections in women may be mistaken for a bladder or vaginal infection with initial symptoms of painful urination, vaginal discharge or bleeding between periods. In some men, gonorrhea may also be asymptomatic, while others may experience a burning sensation when urinating, a white, yellow or green discharge from the penis, as well as painful or swollen testicles. The disease can cause infertility in both sexes. Untreated gonorrhea can also lead to serious problems in both sexes and can spread to the blood and joints -- a potentially life-threatening condition. Pregnant women can pass the disease onto their fetuses leading to blindness, joint infection, or a life-threatening blood infection in babies, according to the CDC. Ison said monitoring strains of gonorrhea for ongoing resistance to antibiotics is critical to ensure the first-line treatments for the disease remain effective. "There are few new drugs available and so it is probable that the current use of a single dose may soon need to be revised and treatment over several days or with more than one antibiotic will need to be considered," she said. "If this problem isn't addressed, then there is a real possibility that gonorrhea will become a very difficult infection to treat.”