An updated molecular diagnostic for surveillance of tetM in Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxy-PEP) for sexually transmitted bacterial infections reduces the risk of syphilis and chlamydia, but effectiveness against gonorrhea is variable, likely attributable to varying resistance rates. As doxy-PEP is incorporated into clinical practice, an urgent unanswered question is whether increased doxycycline use will drive tetracycline-class resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Here, we report an updated RT-PCR molecular diagnostic to detect the tetM gene that confers high-level tetracycline resistance in N. gonorrhoeae.