'Super-gonorrhoea' outbreak in Leeds

[cronus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34269315

'Super-gonorrhoea' outbreak in Leeds

Highly drug-resistant gonorrhoea is spreading in the north of England with an outbreak centred in Leeds, sexual health doctors have told the BBC.
One of the main treatments has become useless against the new strain of the sexually transmitted infection.

Twelve cases have been confirmed in Leeds and a further four have been reported in Macclesfield, Oldham and Scunthorpe.
However, there are likely to be more undiagnosed cases.

The strain in this outbreak is able to shrug off the antibiotic azithromycin, which is normally used alongside another drug, ceftriaxone.
Peter Greenhouse, a consultant in sexual health based in Bristol, told the BBC News website: "This azithromycin highly resistant outbreak is the first one that has triggered a national alert.
"It doesn't sound like an awful lot of people, but the implication is there's a lot more of this strain out there and we need to stamp it out as quickly as possible.

"If this becomes the predominant strain in the UK we're in big trouble, so we have to be really meticulous in making sure each of these individuals has all their contacts traced and treated."

(continued)

[Svartalf]

So, it's Leeds as usual, eh?

[mistermack]

You can bet your life that this has come in from India, or more likely Pakistan.

Not that diseases have a preference, but antibiotic resistance often evolves in those countries, where you can buy the antibiotics off the shelf. And Leeds has a big ethnic Asian population.

[Rum]

Passed that nugget of speculation on to Britain First yet?

[mistermack]

Passed that nugget of speculation on to Britain First yet?

It comes from watching documentaries, so it's not unique to me.

Can't remember who made it, but they made it clear where most antibiotic resistance was evolving, and why. Including the reporter buying antibiotics from small local shops in India, which were meant to be prescription only.

Their system is perfect for the bugs to evolve resistance. People are loathe to keep taking the antibiotics, once they show signs of improvement, because of the cost compared to their incomes.
The free-and-easy access, combined with low incomes, is the perfect breeding ground.

Edit :
When it comes to gonorrhea, you would think that if you combined prostitution with poverty and lax supply conditions, the bugs can't go wrong.

[Sælir]

Ok, seriously, what is going on in Leeds?

I just translated two episodes called Junk Food Kids and they were constantly talking about the problems in Leeds, both when it came to obesity in children and tooth decay.
Is it in some way different from other parts of Britain?

[Rum]

Not really so different from much of urban Britain. It is a bit depressed perhaps compared to some big cities - it has not kept up with the times in the way Manchester and Birmingham have perhaps - if you go by big urban projects, shopping centres and the like.. Large community of immigrants from the Indian sub-continent - 2nd and 3rd generation now many of them.

A decent university too.

[JimC]

All residents of Leeds need to wank instead of copulating. It's the only solution...

[Hermit]

Convenient one at that. The solution is always close to hand.

[mistermack]

Convenient one at that. The solution is always close to hand.

But then it slips through your fingers.