Some cases of the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea are now untreatable due to resistance to antibiotics, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Every time we use a new class of antibiotics to treat the infection, the bacteria evolve to resist them,” said WHO medical officer Dr. Teodora Wi in a statement.
About 78 million people get gonorrhea infections every year, according to the WHO, which also notes complications from the STI have a larger impact on women.
WHO Director of Antimicrobial Resistance Dr. Marc Sprenger said in a statement that corralling the infection requires new tools for better prevention, new antibiotics, and in the future, a vaccine against gonorrhea.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Where Trump 2.0 Will Differ From 1.0
- How Elon Musk Became a Kingmaker
- The Power—And Limits—of Peer Support
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope
- The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com