"The sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea is now among the "superbugs" resistant to common antibiotics, leading U.S. health officials to recommend wider use of a different class of drugs to avert a public health crisis.

"The resistant form accounts for more than one in every four gonorrhea cases among heterosexual men in Philadelphia and nearly that many in San Francisco, according to a survey that led to Thursday's recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

Here is the link to the whole article:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070412/ap_on_he_me/resistant_gonorrhea_4

Not quite as bleak as the headline published with the report portrays, but unless I'm missing something it does mean potential trouble for those who rely on a drug cocktail to cure one's ills after a mongering trip.

I suppose it is possible these forms only exist in the U.S., but I doubt it and, in any event, it would seem to be only a matter of time before it would spread elsewhere.

Anyone have other interpretations or information?

They are just talking about Cipro resistance not total antibiotic resistance. This is very old news. Actually started in SEA not the US . A considerable number of cases in SEA have been Cipro resistant for some time. If Cipro dooes not work then it's off to the doc for a shot of cephtriaxone -- Rocephin.

CDC updated its treatment guidelines two weeks ago. They are now recommending against the use of the oral cephalosporins (cefixime/Suprax in the US) due to evidence of growing drug resistance. The updated recommendation is for an injection of ceftriaxone (250 mg) along with a single 1g oral dose of azithromycin.

Here's the link to the announcement:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/768883

Asia remains the locus of most of the drug resistant strains of gonorrhea (hear that, IAS?).

Bag it! No one likes a bumpy penis!