Neisseria gonorrhoeae poses a serious global health threat due to increasing antimicrobial resistance, with recent cases of extensively drug-resistant strains emerging in France.
Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a persistent global public health concern due to emerging multidrug-resistant isolates.
Ceftriaxone is recommended as the first-line treatment for N. gonorrhoeae due to resistance to other antibiotics.
Two new cases of extensively drug-resistant N. gonorrhoeae were reported in France in 2023.
The isolates F95 and F96 belonged to sequence type 16406 and displayed extensive resistance to multiple antimicrobial drugs.
The patients in both cases were successfully treated with ceftriaxone, suggesting potential issues with current resistance breakpoints.
Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacteria responsible for causing gonorrhea, continues to pose a significant public health threat worldwide due to the rise of multidrug-resistant strains. Ceftriaxone is currently recommended as the first-line treatment for N. gonorrhoeae infections due to the high rates of resistance to other antibiotics. Recently, two cases of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) N. gonorrhoeae were reported in France, with both patients showing symptoms of urethritis and testing positive for the bacteria. These isolates were found to be resistant to multiple antibiotics but were effectively treated with ceftriaxone.
Further analysis of the XDR N. gonorrhoeae isolates revealed mutations associated with antimicrobial resistance, including the presence of the penA-60.001 allele and the A2059G mutation in 23S rRNA. Genome sequencing showed that the isolates belonged to sequence type 16406 and were closely related to other XDR strains, particularly those from Cambodia. Both patients were successfully treated with ceftriaxone, suggesting that current resistance breakpoints for the antibiotic may need to be reevaluated. The source of one patient’s infection was traced back to sexual contact with a sex worker, highlighting the importance of safe sexual practices in preventing the spread of drug-resistant strains of N. gonorrhoeae.
