Scientists sound alarm over little-known STI in US resistant to EVERY antibiotic used against it 

A ‘silent spreading’ STD that can cause infertility is feared to develop into a superbug.

Mycoplasma genitalium, also known as M. genitalium or M. gene, is on its way to becoming resistant to every antibiotic used to treat it.

The sexually transmitted infection was first discovered in London in the 1980s, but a test has only been available in the US since 2019.

It means scientists don’t know exactly how widespread it is.

Some studies suggest that only one in 100 adults in the US is positive for the virus, but experts estimate that as many as a fifth will get it at some point in their lives.

The bacterial infection has been linked to infertility, preterm birth, and miscarriage, as well as cervical swelling and pelvic inflammatory disease.

There are growing concerns that it will become untreatable as the STI has developed resistance to the most popular antibiotic used to treat STIs, azithromycin, as well as quinolone, macrolide, and doxycycline.

Alternatives are available, but they cause serious side effects that make them unsuitable for pregnant women. And there are signs that it is already becoming tolerant for them too.

There are also fears that M. gene will become more prevalent as STDs generally increase in the US.

In 2021 there were a record 2.5 million infections, up from 2.4 million in 2020, itself a record high.

In 2018, CDC estimated that there were nearly 68 million STDs in the US on any given day that year.

Superbugs are estimated to contribute to about 7 million deaths each year, with some experts warning that they should be taken as seriously as global warming.

Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia in England, told DailyMail.com: ‘This is one of a small number of genital mycoplasmas, including M. gen., M. hominis and some related ureaplasmas, M. gene. . has had the strongest evidence that it causes adverse health outcomes.”

The STI is also “difficult to diagnose,” meaning it’s spreading under the radar, he said.

“Doing something about it is not easy, because the infection is quite common and most infections have no adverse health effects.”

M. gene can cause painful, bleeding and swollen genitals and even infertility in women.

But many people will not show any symptoms at all and may wear it for years without realizing it.

It can be transmitted through genital-to-genital contact, such as unprotected vaginal or anal sex, as well as mother-to-baby transmission even before birth.

The risk of preterm birth increased almost twofold in women with M. gen., and analysis of 10 studies published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infection in May through 2021.

In males, M. gen. may cause urethritis, swelling, and irritation of the urethra, making it painful to urinate, but more research is needed to determine the long-term effects of M. gen. infection.

It can also cause abnormal discharge for both sexes.

Simon Clarke, an associate professor of cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, told DailyMail.com that it is “completely feasible” that M. gen. become completely resistant to antibiotics.

However, he said multiple drug-resistant strains are likely “far away.”

He said the ‘silent spread’ is the problem because people ‘don’t know to get tested and they’re spreading it to someone else’.

This means it will become increasingly dominant and doctors will continue to prescribe antibiotics to treat it, fueling antibiotic resistance and the potential for M. gene. to become a top performer.

Superbugs are estimated to kill 7 million each year, either as co-infection or directly.

But last year, a large study found they are the leading underlying cause of 1.2 million annual deaths worldwide.

This would make superbugs a bigger global killer than AIDS or malaria, which killed 860,000 and 640,000 that year, respectively. By comparison, Covid killed an estimated 3.5 million people in 2021.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends routine screening for M. gene. does not indicate and does not indicate why.

Because the test, known as the Aptima Nucleic Acid Amplification Test, was not approved until 2019, it has not been widely rolled out and doctors are not required to report cases of infection.

Patients are only screened for M. gene. after persistent complaints and negative tests for other STDs.

This means that there is no clear picture of how widespread M. gene. or who it affects the most.

But Lisa Manhart, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health, told NBC News that M. gen. can affect up to 20 percent of sexually active women and 17 percent of men between the ages of 15 and 24.

In contrast, the most common STI in the US is chlamydia, with 5 percent of sexually active women aged 14-24 being infected with the STI.

If regular antibiotics don’t work, doctors may use moxifloxacin.

This works, but causes significant side effects, including nausea, diarrhea, dizziness and vomiting.

This means that it is not a suitable treatment for everyone, especially pregnant women.

And the more moxifloxacin is used to treat M. gen. treatment, the more likely it will become resistant to it.

Other than moxifloxacin, treatment options are limited.

The CDC currently recommends testing for antibiotic resistance before deciding which drugs to take, but these tests have not been approved by the FDA.

Only a handful of specialized research centers can test whether the infection is resistant to an antibiotic.

Commonly available versions of the test can take years, as can antibiotics that work.

Meanwhile, David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD directors, said at Monday’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sexually transmitted disease prevention conference that the rise in STDs had “got out of control.”

Infection rates for STDs, including gonorrhea and syphilis, have been rising for years, but last year syphilis cases hit their highest since 1948.