Gonorrhea: Mouthwash Prevents Infection

Gonorrhea: Mouthwash prevents infection,the team led by Christopher Fairley, examined whether the use of a mouthwash could really bring something.

Gonorrhea: Mouthwash prevents infection

Bacteria survive months in the throat even without symptomps.

Gargling once a day helps stem gonorrhea, as Monash University researchers have shown http://monash.edu/ . Studies have shown that individuals can have this sexually transmitted disease without symptoms in their throat for weeks or months. It could then spread through unprotected oral sex. Therefore, the team led by Christopher Fairley, examined whether the use of a mouthwash could really bring something.

Many antibiotics without effect

Currently, condoms are considered the best way to prevent the spread of the disease. Mouthwash, however, could be an alternative. The pharynx, according to recent studies, could be a breeding ground for hard-to-fight bacteria. Gonorrhea can be present without symptoms, sharing DNA with other microbes that have already learned how to make certain antibiotics ineffective.

Fairley tested the mouthwash theory on 58 men. All had gonorrhea in the throat at the beginning of the study. One part was asked to gargle with salt water for one minute, the other received an antiseptic mouthwash from the supermarket. After five minutes, the tests were repeated to check if the gurgle had any effect. The mouthwash did indeed significantly reduce the amount of detectable bacteria.

Illness is on the rise

Gonorrhea is a bacterium that can survive in the throat, on the penis and vagina and is transmitted sexually. Currently, this disease is on the rise again. Public Health England latest figures http://bit.ly/1a0kEGa show that between 2012 and 2015, the number of infections increased 53 percent from 26,880 to 41,193.

Reason for additional concern is the announcement of a "super-gonorrhea". It is a drug-resistant strain in which the antibiotics normally used for treatment are ineffective. Public Health England has recently discovered an outbreak of azithromycin-resistant gonorrhea in northern England. Fortunately, this infection can be treated with another drug. Nevertheless, the current development is being monitored very carefully.