COULD THIS BE A CURE FOR SUPER GONORRHOEA?
A new antibiotic was found in the ‘arms race’ against incurable superbugs, The Daily Mail revealed last July.
The drug is a weapon in the fight against a strain of ‘super-gonorrhoea’ similar to that which swept across London, the South East and Midlands.
Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies has previously written to GPs warning that gonorrhoea, Britain’s second most common STI after chlamydia, could become an ‘untreatable disease’.
But the bug, some strains of which are now resistant to every hospital antibiotic, was defeated by British scientists using the antibiotic closthioamide.
While still at least five years away from being available to patients, closthioamide cured 98 per cent of gonorrhoea samples taken from British patients.
The antibiotic, only discovered seven years ago, has also been found to tackle hospital superbug MRSA and deadly E.coli and could go on to be tested against other bacteria, including drug-resistant TB.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF GONORRHOEA?
More than 35,000 people a year are infected with gonorrhoea in England, including record numbers of baby boomers. Only chlamydia and genital warts are more prevalent.
Figures show 78 million people worldwide contract gonorrhoea, which can often go symptomless for weeks, each year.
Symptoms usually strike within two weeks of infection - but can stay hidden for many months.
In women, symptoms of gonorrhoea can include:
an unusual vaginal discharge, which may be thin or watery and green or yellow in colour
pain or a burning sensation when passing urine
pain or tenderness in the lower abdominal area (this is less common)
bleeding between periods, heavier periods and bleeding after sex (this is less common)
In men, symptoms of gonorrhoea can include:
an unusual discharge from the tip of the penis, which may be white, yellow or green
pain or a burning sensation when urinating
inflammation (swelling) of the foreskin
pain or tenderness in the testicles (this is rare)
Source: NHS Choices
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF GONORRHOEA?
More than 35,000 people a year are infected with gonorrhoea in England, including record numbers of baby boomers. Only chlamydia and genital warts are more prevalent.
Figures show 78 million people worldwide contract gonorrhoea, which can often go symptomless for weeks, each year.
Symptoms usually strike within two weeks of infection - but can stay hidden for many months.
In women, symptoms of gonorrhoea can include:
an unusual vaginal discharge, which may be thin or watery and green or yellow in colour
pain or a burning sensation when passing urine
pain or tenderness in the lower abdominal area (this is less common)
bleeding between periods, heavier periods and bleeding after sex (this is less common)
In men, symptoms of gonorrhoea can include:
an unusual discharge from the tip of the penis, which may be white, yellow or green
pain or a burning sensation when urinating
inflammation (swelling) of the foreskin
pain or tenderness in the testicles (this is rare)
Source: NHS Choices
Comments
Post a Comment