Health officials in Massachusetts confirmed Thursday they have discovered two cases of a new strain of gonorrhea that appears to be drug-resistant and that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating.
The state Department of Public Health (DPH) said a novel strain of the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae “showed reduced response to multiple antibiotics,” while another strain was found to have “genetic markers that indicate a similar drug response,” according to a news release.
Both cases, discovered in Massachusetts, were successfully cured with the antibiotic ceftriaxone—the drug that is recommended to treat all forms of gonorrhea. The bacteria is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can result in infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease, and a range of other health problems, officials warn….