Mycoplasma genitalium now 80-90% resistant

It is the second most common STI for gay men. Currently 9% of those tested are infected. But treatment is difficult:

15 years ago , MG resistance to antibiotics was around 10-20% among patients at the Melbourne Sexual Health Clinic, but now it was closer to 80-90%.

“It is very difficult to treat this bug,” he said.

When people presenting to the clinic have a resistance to antibiotics, they are prescribed multiple rounds of antibiotic treatments, Ong said.

“Our standard treatment now is already two weeks of antibiotics and then if they are resistant, then they get an extra two weeks, and then if they are resistant to that, there’s another lot of antibiotics.

“It’s quite a lot of antibiotics.”

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/17/gps-urged-not-to-test-gay-men-for-sti-super-bug-over-fears-it-will-become-more-antibiotic-resistant

Doctors are recommending not treating asymptomatic people, as that will lead to greater resistance.

Gonorrhoea about to go viral

Tip of the iceberg:

More than 1,000 cases of almost-untreatable superbugs were reported in Australia in the 12 months to March this year.

Key points:

  • Superbugs are resistant to “almost everything”
  • Authorities concerned about spread of gonorrhoea
  • Nursing homes singled out as having high proportion of superbugs

Welcome to the new age

 

Which sexually transmitted disease:

Surely a recipe for a massive breakout.

Gonorrhoea can be fatal but that is relatively rare. Still, it is very nasty and you would choose to avoid it if you could. Consider this an indication of how less fun the world will be when antibiotics stop working their magic for us.