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
- Welcome to the Noah Lyles Olympics
- Melinda French Gates Is Going It Alone
- What to Do if You Can’t Afford Your Medications
- How to Buy Groceries Without Breaking the Bank
- Sienna Miller Is the Reason to Watch Horizon
- Why So Many Bitcoin Mining Companies Are Pivoting to AI
- The 15 Best Movies to Watch on a Plane
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com