A new strain of the clap has hit the UK, frightening both citizens and medical experts.
So far the caseload is up to 16 and they are all drug-resistant forms of gonorrhoea.
12 cases are coming out of Leeds, while Macclesfield, Oldham, and Scunthorpe are following behind with four cases between them.
Of course these are only the reported cases and likely there are a lot more as gonorrhoea can go unnoticed. So while 16 is not a whopping number, it is enough to be concerned.
The real worry is the resistance to antibiotics, which are usually used to fight it off.
The results of gonorrhoea going untreated can be infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease, and it can also be passed on to babies during pregnancy.
Without a treatment means those infected will have to suffer until experts can pinpoint a weakness and then a new antibiotic will have to be produced to combat the infection.
Peter Greenhouse, a sexual health consultant, had the following to say regarding this scary outbreak and it’s possible implications:
“This azithromycin highly-resistant outbreak is the first one that has triggered a national alert.
It doesn’t sound like an awful lot of people, but the implication is there’s a lot more of this strain out there and we need to stamp it out as quickly as possible. If this becomes the predominant strain in the UK we’re in big trouble, so we have to be really meticulous in making sure each of these individuals has all their contacts traced and treated.”
This makes it all the more important to be sure and wear a condom when having sex, especially during this time of uncertainty over this latest wave of infections that could likely spread if they are not able to find a remedy soon.
