Evolving gonococcal antimicrobial resistance: research priorities and implications for management.

The combination of continually increasing minimum inhibitory concentration values, and outright resistance to the currently available treatments for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and the paucity of new drugs in the developmental pipeline raises questions that require concentrated research attention at both the microbiologic and programme levels. Here, we describe the need for research related to the mechanisms of resistance, strategies to reduce or prevent the development of resistance and the need for optimal surveillance using local, national and global data.