[Articles] Sustained transmission of high-level azithromycin-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae in England: an observational study

Sustained transmission of a successful HL-AziR clone was seen across England. Mutation 2059A →G was found in isolates with lower azithromycin MICs. Azithromycin exposure might have provided the selection pressure for one or two mutated copies of the 23S rRNA gene to recombine with wild-type copies, leading to three or four mutated copies and the HL-AziR phenotype. HL-AziR could emerge in isolates with low azithromycin MICs and eliminate the effectiveness of azithromycin as part of dual therapy for the treatment of gonorrhoea.

Source: The Lancet Infectious Diseases - March 6, 2018 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Helen Fifer, Michelle Cole, Gwenda Hughes, Simon Padfield, Christa Smolarchuk, Neil Woodford, Adrian Wensley, Nazim Mustafa, Ulf Schaefer, Richard Myers, Kate Templeton, Jill Shepherd, Anthony Underwood Tags: Articles Source Type: research