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According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) there are more than 106 million people newly infected with gonorrhea every year. However since 2008 a new "superbug" strain of gonorrhea, resistant to all recommended antibiotics, has emerged.
The emergence of drug-resistant or superbug strains of gonorrhea is caused by unregulated access to and overuse of antibiotics, which helps fuel natural genetic mutations within the bacteria.
Countries including Australia, France, Norway, Sweden and Britain are reporting this strain of STI which is resistant to cephalosporin antibiotics, known to be the last option for treating gonorrhea. If this continues the once easily treatable STI could become a global health threat.
The question is how far or wide has this drug resistant strain of gonorrhea spread, and the WHO cannot confirm those numbers as many countries lack reliable information. Of the data that is available it looks like this is just the beginning.
In addition to developing a resistance to drug therapy, this new superbug has also altered and lessened the symptoms of this sexually transmitted disease. It has altered and lessened the symptoms in order to avoid detection longer.
The reason behind how this new drug resistant strain of gonorrhea developed is due to the unregulated access to and overuse of antibiotics, as it accelerates the superbug's natural genetic mutation.
Efforts are being made to develop new effective drugs to combat this emerging threat, however the focus is on learning how to treat this new strain with two types of antibiotics, as this has proven to be successful in other such situations.
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