Rifampicin Resistance Associated with rpoB Mutations in Neisseria gonorrhoeae Clinical Strains Isolated in Austria, 2016 to 2020

Abstract

Gonorrhea, caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae , is one of the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infections. It is treated with antibiotics, but an increasing number of N. gonorrhoeae strains are resistant to currently used treatments. Due to increasing rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Neisseria gonorrhoeae , alternative treatments should be considered. To assess rifampicin’s potential as a gonorrhea treatment, we used rpoB mutations to estimate rifampicin resistance in Austrian N. gonorrhoeae isolates. We found 30% of resistant isolates clustering in three main phylogenomic branches. Rifampicin resistance was associated with resistance to other antibiotics. Therefore, rifampicin cannot be recommended as an alternative gonorrhea treatment in Austria, even in combination therapy. IMPORTANCE Gonorrhea, caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae , is one of the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infections. It is treated with antibiotics, but an increasing number of N. gonorrhoeae strains are resistant to currently used treatments. In this study, we explored the potential of rifampicin, another antibiotic, as a treatment option for gonorrhea. However, around 30% of Austrian N. gonorrhoeae strains investigated were already resistant to rifampicin, which would limit its benefit as a gonorrhea treatment.