Antibiotic resistance has been a slow-brewing crisis for decades, but the effects are finally becoming hard to ignore. Currently, so-called superbugs are thought to kill around 35,000 annually, as well as 700,000 globally.
One of the more worrying today is Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the namesake bacteria that cause gonorrhea. Gonorrhea isn’t usually deadly and often has no symptoms, but if left untreated, it can lead to complications like arthritis, joint pain, and skin rashes, as well as infertility and chronic pelvic pain. The bacteria can also be passed from a mother to her baby during delivery, triggering an infection that can be fatal or cause serious problems like blindness. Notable symptoms include a green or yellow discharge from the genitals and pain while urinating.
These bacteria are scary because they’re impervious to the first-line antibiotics used to treat them.
One of the more worrying today is Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the namesake bacteria that cause gonorrhea. Gonorrhea isn’t usually deadly and often has no symptoms, but if left untreated, it can lead to complications like arthritis, joint pain, and skin rashes, as well as infertility and chronic pelvic pain. The bacteria can also be passed from a mother to her baby during delivery, triggering an infection that can be fatal or cause serious problems like blindness. Notable symptoms include a green or yellow discharge from the genitals and pain while urinating.
These bacteria are scary because they’re impervious to the first-line antibiotics used to treat them.
