Drug-resistant gonorrhea strain spreads to new bacterial lineage in Sweden
A highly resistant gonorrhea strain carrying a mutated resistance gene has jumped to a previously susceptible bacterial lineage and spread internationally, researchers reported. The discovery signals that a pathogen already difficult to treat is acquiring new genetic pathways to evade antibiotics, complicating treatment options for a common sexually transmitted infection.
Originaltitel: Multidrug-resistant<i> Neisseria</i><i> gonorrhoeae</i> isolate SE690: mosaic<i> penA-60.001</i> gene causing ceftriaxone resistance internationally has spread to the more antimicrobial- susceptible genomic lineage, Sweden, September 2022
<p>We report a ceftriaxone-resistant, multidrug-resist-ant urogenital Neisseria gonorrhoeae in a female sex worker in Sweden, September 2022, who was treated with ceftriaxone i g, but did not return for test-of-cure. Whole genome sequencing of isolate SE690 identified MLST ST8i30, NG-STAR CCi885 (new NG-STAR ST4859) and mosaic penA-6o.oo1. The latter, causing ceftriax-one resistance in the internationally spreading FC428 clone, has now also spread to the more antimicrobial -susceptible genomic lineage B, showing that strains across the gonococcal phylogeny can develop ceftri-axone resistance.</p>