Drug Resistant Strains Of Gonorrhoea And Other STIs Could Be In Jamaica

Researchers at the University of the West Indies (UWI) are becoming concerned about the rate at which Jamaica is seeing some sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which are becoming resistant to antibiotic treatment.

To counter this growing threat, the researchers are embarking on a study to test the effectiveness of the medication used to treat the STI gonorrhoea across the island.

“We are about to embark on a study where we go down to the clinics where they see those patients and collect swabs on all the patients,” said Dr Alison Nicholson, head of the Department of Microbiology at the University of the West Indies.

“It is not just a matter of treating them, we want the samples so we can grow the thing for ourselves and test it against the drugs.

“We have actually written up the proposal and are in the process of getting ethics approval to conduct the study. Only then we will know what is happening in our local population,” added Nicholson.

She said the study is slated to start in weeks and will cover clinics islandwide.

According to Nicholson, while persons diagnosed with gonorrhoea in Jamaica are usually treated effectively, there may be cases of resistance which local medical personnel are not aware of, and the study is designed to determine if this is the case. Read more

Source: Jamaica Gleaner