Increases in fluoroquinolone-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae among men who have sex with men--United States, 2003, and revised recommendations for gonorrhea treatment, 2004.

In the United States, an estimated 700,000-800,000 persons are infected with Neisseria gonorrhoeae each year. Since 1993, CDC has recommended use of fluoroquinolones (i.e., ciprofloxacin, floxacin, or levofloxacin) for gonorrhea treatment. Fluoroquinolone therapy is used frequently because it is an inexpensive, oral, and single-dose therapy. However, because of increased prevalence of fluoroquinolone-resistant N. gonorrhoeae (QRNG) in Asia, the Pacific Islands (including Hawaii), and California, fluoroquinolones are no longer recommended for treating gonorrhea acquired in those locations. This report describes increases in QRNG among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Massachusetts, New York City, and 30 sites surveyed by the Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP) during 2003. CDC recommends that clinicians no longer use fluoroquinolones as a first-line treatment for gonorrhea in MSM.