The Public Health Importance of N. Gonorrhoeae Resistance and Recent Surveillance Trends

Since sulfonamides were developed, Neisseria gonorrhoeae has developed antibiotic resistance to all of the antibiotics recommended for treatment, either through chromosomal mutations or acquisition of plasmids conferring high-level resistance.  Since prompt effective treatment is the cornerstone of gonorrhea control, antibiotic resistance can undermine control efforts and heighten the risk of complications of infection. Since the emergence of fluoroquinolone-resistance in the US, cephalosporins have been the only remaining class of antibiotics recommended for treatment of gonorrhea. This presentation will review international recent data that suggest that gonococcal cephalosporin resistance may be emerging and will highlight challenges to effective surveillance of N. gonorrhoeae resistance.