Management of cephalosporin resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and substantially harms human health and socioeconomic development. Due to inappropriate treatment and the presence of drug resistance genes in patients, antibiotic resistance has emerged in Neisseria gonorrhoeae, such as resistance to penicillin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, or other antibiotics. Currently, extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESCs)are the first-line treatment of gonococcal infection. With the wide use of ESCs, the sensitivity of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to ESCs has been decreasing gradually, and there have been reports on cases of treatment failure in clinical practice. In order to control gonorrhea and deal with drug resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae, combined therapy, alternative therapy and new drugs have been developed in clinic. Key words: Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Cephalosporins; Drug resistance; Therapeutic uses; Drug substitution