First Report of Genetic Resistance to Azithromycin in <i>Treponema pallidum</i> from Blood Samples Among Men Who Have Sex with Men and People Living with HIV from Mexico
Syphilis is a re-emerging sexually transmitted disease caused by <i>Treponema pallidum</i> subsp. <i>pallidum</i> (TPA). It especially affects vulnerable populations such as men who have sex with men (MSM) and people living with HIV. Despite being treatable with benzathine pe...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| author | Dayana Nicté Vergara-Ortega Perla J. Santibañez-Amador Santa García-Cisneros María Olamendi-Portugal Everardo Gutiérrez-Millán Antonia Herrera-Ortíz Verónica Ruíz-González Miguel Ángel Sánchez-Alemán |
| author_facet | Dayana Nicté Vergara-Ortega Perla J. Santibañez-Amador Santa García-Cisneros María Olamendi-Portugal Everardo Gutiérrez-Millán Antonia Herrera-Ortíz Verónica Ruíz-González Miguel Ángel Sánchez-Alemán |
| author_sort | Dayana Nicté Vergara-Ortega |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Syphilis is a re-emerging sexually transmitted disease caused by <i>Treponema pallidum</i> subsp. <i>pallidum</i> (TPA). It especially affects vulnerable populations such as men who have sex with men (MSM) and people living with HIV. Despite being treatable with benzathine penicillin G, a substantial increase in TPA resistance to azithromycin has been reported in many countries. The objective of this study was to detect the resistance of <i>T. pallidum</i> (TPA) to macrolides in blood samples from men who have sex with men and people living with HIV using molecular methods in a cross-sectional study. The detection of both TPA and the resistance to azithromycin was achieved through molecular methodologies (nested PCR), which were applied to blood samples of people with asymptomatic syphilis. We report the first data on the molecular prevalence of TPA and the first identification of genetic resistance to azithromycin (punctual mutation A2058G) in Mexico. Resistance testing for syphilis is not routinely performed in Mexico, but azithromycin continues to be prescribed despite syphilis being treatable with benzathine penicillin G. Therefore, the surveillance of cases of syphilis treatment failure, especially in vulnerable populations, which are the population group that maintains the active transmission of TPA, is recommended. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj-art-401d720b8cf14081a8064fa59f4b88e72025-08-20T02:33:55ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072025-05-01135106910.3390/microorganisms13051069First Report of Genetic Resistance to Azithromycin in <i>Treponema pallidum</i> from Blood Samples Among Men Who Have Sex with Men and People Living with HIV from MexicoDayana Nicté Vergara-Ortega0Perla J. Santibañez-Amador1Santa García-Cisneros2María Olamendi-Portugal3Everardo Gutiérrez-Millán4Antonia Herrera-Ortíz5Verónica Ruíz-González6Miguel Ángel Sánchez-Alemán7Centro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca CP 62100, MexicoCentro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca CP 62100, MexicoCentro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca CP 62100, MexicoCentro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca CP 62100, MexicoCentro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca CP 62100, MexicoCentro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca CP 62100, MexicoLaboratorio Especializado, Clínica Especializada Condesa, Cuauhtémoc CP 06170, MexicoCentro de Investigación Sobre Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca CP 62100, MexicoSyphilis is a re-emerging sexually transmitted disease caused by <i>Treponema pallidum</i> subsp. <i>pallidum</i> (TPA). It especially affects vulnerable populations such as men who have sex with men (MSM) and people living with HIV. Despite being treatable with benzathine penicillin G, a substantial increase in TPA resistance to azithromycin has been reported in many countries. The objective of this study was to detect the resistance of <i>T. pallidum</i> (TPA) to macrolides in blood samples from men who have sex with men and people living with HIV using molecular methods in a cross-sectional study. The detection of both TPA and the resistance to azithromycin was achieved through molecular methodologies (nested PCR), which were applied to blood samples of people with asymptomatic syphilis. We report the first data on the molecular prevalence of TPA and the first identification of genetic resistance to azithromycin (punctual mutation A2058G) in Mexico. Resistance testing for syphilis is not routinely performed in Mexico, but azithromycin continues to be prescribed despite syphilis being treatable with benzathine penicillin G. Therefore, the surveillance of cases of syphilis treatment failure, especially in vulnerable populations, which are the population group that maintains the active transmission of TPA, is recommended.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/5/1069syphilismacrolidesazithromycindrug resistancemen who have sex with menpeople living with HIV |
| spellingShingle | Dayana Nicté Vergara-Ortega Perla J. Santibañez-Amador Santa García-Cisneros María Olamendi-Portugal Everardo Gutiérrez-Millán Antonia Herrera-Ortíz Verónica Ruíz-González Miguel Ángel Sánchez-Alemán First Report of Genetic Resistance to Azithromycin in <i>Treponema pallidum</i> from Blood Samples Among Men Who Have Sex with Men and People Living with HIV from Mexico Microorganisms syphilis macrolides azithromycin drug resistance men who have sex with men people living with HIV |
| title | First Report of Genetic Resistance to Azithromycin in <i>Treponema pallidum</i> from Blood Samples Among Men Who Have Sex with Men and People Living with HIV from Mexico |
| title_full | First Report of Genetic Resistance to Azithromycin in <i>Treponema pallidum</i> from Blood Samples Among Men Who Have Sex with Men and People Living with HIV from Mexico |
| title_fullStr | First Report of Genetic Resistance to Azithromycin in <i>Treponema pallidum</i> from Blood Samples Among Men Who Have Sex with Men and People Living with HIV from Mexico |
| title_full_unstemmed | First Report of Genetic Resistance to Azithromycin in <i>Treponema pallidum</i> from Blood Samples Among Men Who Have Sex with Men and People Living with HIV from Mexico |
| title_short | First Report of Genetic Resistance to Azithromycin in <i>Treponema pallidum</i> from Blood Samples Among Men Who Have Sex with Men and People Living with HIV from Mexico |
| title_sort | first report of genetic resistance to azithromycin in i treponema pallidum i from blood samples among men who have sex with men and people living with hiv from mexico |
| topic | syphilis macrolides azithromycin drug resistance men who have sex with men people living with HIV |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/5/1069 |
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