UNAIR NEWS – Gonorrhea is caused by Neisseria gonorrheae bacteria. It is one of the sexually transmitted infections (STDs) that are commonly found in developing countries and is the second most STD disease in the world .
Gonorrhea patients need antibiotic therapy to return to health. However, the resistance rate of gonorrhea-causing bacteria continues to increase with some antibiotics especially, antibiotic resistance in the form of penicillin, tetracycline, and quinolone class.
Dr. Afif Nurul Hidayati Dr., Sp.KK, FINS-DV, FAADV or dr. Afif, explained that The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the cephalosporin group, namely cefixime 400 mg orally or ceftriaxone 125 mg intramuscularly for gonorrhea therapy.
“It’s just that research in Australia, Austria, and the United Kingdom reported a decrease in sensitivity to cefixime in gonorrhea cases,” said the lecturer in Faculty of Medicine (FK) Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR).
For this reason, dr. Afif and her two colleagues, Sawitri dr., Sp.KK (K) and dr..Aalia Rositawati decided to conduct research on the resistance of Neisseria gonorrhea bacteria to cefixime antibiotics in gonorrhea patients in Surabaya. The study tested the sensitivity of Neisseria gonorrhea bacteria from 20 patients in seven public healthcare centers (puskesmas) in Surabaya.
The first step is to take a bacterial sample in the gonorrhea patient. Then, put the bacteria on a special medium to form a bacterial colony for a maximum of 48 hours.
“The bacterial colony of Neisseria gonorrhea grows grayish white, shiny, and convex (convex, ed),” she continued.
Next, the colony was tested for sensitivity to antibiotics using the disc method. Colonies were considered sensitive to cefixime if the area of inhibition exceeds 31 mm according to the Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI) criteria.
The study found seven out of twenty samples of Neisseria gonnorrheae were not sensitive to cefixime antibiotics. There is resistance from the bacteria against cefixime antibiotics.
“The results of this study indicated the need for vigilance in rational use of antibiotics against gonorrhea and the evaluation of therapeutic efficacy in all gonorrhea patients,” she concluded.
Author: Galuh Mega Kurnia
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia
Reference:
https://www.pagepress.org/journals/index.php/dr/article/view/8060
Rositawati, A., S, S. & Hidayati, A. N., 2019. Neisseria gonorrhoeae resistance test against cefixime in gonorrhea patients in Surabaya. Dermatology Reports, 11(1s).
