New gonorrhea strain resistant to all antibiotics isolated in Japanese woman

A new strain of the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea that is resistant to all known antibiotic treatments has been isolated from a female sex worker in Japan, according to Magnus Unemo of the Swedish Reference Laboratory for Pathogenic Neisseria, Reuters reports. Unemo is set to present his findings at a conference of the International Society for Sexually Transmitted Disease Research in Quebec on Monday.

Unemo told Reuters that based on historical evidence, drug resistance can emerge in gonorrhea and "spread internationally within 10 to 20 years" (Kelland, 7/11). "'Due to this situation, the World Health Organization has assured us that it will work on the issue of coming up with a global response plan - a huge challenge for the future,' Unemo said, starting with surveillance of the new disease, better infection prevention approach, treatment options such as combining of two or more antibiotics, development of a fast and effective drug, and ideally, a vaccine," PostMedia News/Vancouver Sun reports (Fidelman, 7/11).