Syphilis Becoming Resistant to Oral Antibiotic

Yahoo! News (Reuters) ^ | 7/7/2004 | Megan Rauscher

[Pyro7480]

Syphilis Becoming Resistant to Oral Antibiotic

By Megan Rauscher

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Some strains of the bacterium that causes syphilis have developed a mutation that makes them resistant to Zithromax (known generically as azithromycin), doctors warn in this week's New England Journal of Medicine

"This is important because an increasing number of physicians are azithromycin using for treatment of patients with syphilis and for sexual contacts," Dr. Sheila A. Lukehart, from Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, told Reuters Health.

The recommended treatment for syphilis is penicillin, to which there is currently no evidence of resistance. "However, penicillin injections are painful for the patient," Lukehart noted, "and physicians have been looking for an alternative treatment that can be taken by mouth. Azithromycin has looked very hopeful in this regard."

In their report, Lukehart and colleagues describe one syphilis patient, "among several cases that have been recognized," for whom treatment with azithromycin failed. A specimen from this patient revealed a mutation in one of the microbe's genes and lab tests confirmed that the bug was resistant to azithromycin.

Lukehart's team subsequently found this azithromycin-resistance mutation in 11 percent to 88 percent of syphilis samples obtained in four different regions in the US and Ireland.

"These findings suggest that physicians should be very cautious about using azithromycin for treatment of syphilis until they know whether the strains in their geographical region are sensitive or resistant," Lukehart told Reuters Health.

Two editorialists agree, saying that azithromycin for syphilis "is not recommended unless careful follow-up can be ensured."

SOURCE: New England Journal of Medicine, July 8, 2004.

[Pyro7480]

Syphilis Becoming Resistant to Oral Antibiotic.... thanks to the sexual revolution, and the gay "rights" movement.

[clintonh8r]

ping!

[coloradan]

Maybe they should try the new injectable anal antibiotic.

[Mark in the Old South]

Re: "The recommended treatment for syphilis is penicillin, to which there is currently no evidence of resistance."

I don't think this is true. You should have seen the size of the penicillin injections we used to give in the Navy in the early 80's. We called them intramuscular ballistic missals. They were two, as thick as a turkey baster and nearly as long. Because the penicillin was thick and cold we would warm them up a bit so they wouldn't be so hare to inject into the patient. Still we had to push hard to get the penicillin out. It was very painful to the patient. These shots were so large because of resistant strains of STD's Today I don't think the Navy uses penicillin to treat STD's due to drug resistance.

Cealis (sic) are you ready?

This stuff is going to be the cause of a lot of problems in the near future.

[Rebelbase]

"It was very painful to the patient"

Perhaps as a deterrent for repeat violators.

[harpu]

Well, so much for Klinton's (and Barney Fwank's) safe sex movement.