The Question of Arsphenamine-Resistant Syphilis

Evolutionary Pathways and Trajectories in Antibiotic Resistance

“…However, the first example of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria dates back to 1924, when an arsphenamine-resistant strain of Spirochaeta pallida was documented in a clinic in Germany after prolonged use of arsenicals for treating syphilis (439). Similar observations were made in France and the US in subsequent years, and antibiotic policies began by cycling the antibiotics with other therapeutic options (such as mercury and bismuth salts), increasing the dosage when necessary (440). Sulfonamide resistance also emerged soon after the drug's commercial release in 1935, as reflected in reports on pathogens causing severe diseases, such as Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pyogenes, S. aureus (441), and many other species after the end of World War II (442,443).…”