Is gentamicin a viable therapeutic option for treating resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae in New South Wales?

The key issues with Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections, in Australia and elsewhere, are coincident increases in disease rates and in antimicrobial resistance (AMR), although these factors have not been shown to be correlated. Despite advances in diagnosis, control of this disease remains elusive, and incidence in Australia continues to increase. Of the Australian jurisdictions, New South Wales (NSW) has the highest N.

Keratitis antimicrobial resistance surveillance program, Sydney, Australia: 2016 Annual Report.

Importance: Antimicrobial resistance data from bacterial keratitis in Australia are lacking.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a global health threat. Bacterial keratitis is an ophthalmic emergency requiring immediate and effective treatment.

Azithromycin-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae spreading amongst men who have sex with men (MSM) and heterosexuals in New South Wales, Australia, 2017.

Objectives: To identify the genetic basis of resistance as well as to better understand the epidemiology of a recent surge in azithromycin-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae in New South Wales, Australia.

Methods: Azithromycin-resistant N. gonorrhoeae isolates (n = 118) collected from 107 males, 10 females and 1 transsexual between January and July 2017 were genotyped using a previously described iPLEX method.