Talent Testing Service Ready to Detect New Gonorrhea Strain

MIAMI—Talent Testing Service, Inc. (TTS) reports that its current testing methodologies for gonorrhea (GC) detect the new strain refered to as “HO41.” “Our testing methodologies in place have been developed and cleared to detect these emerging strains,”  TTS president and CEO Sixto Pacheco said. “The APTIMA Combo 2 assay for GC and CT targets the ribosomal RNA (rRNA). Antibiotic resistance in GC occurs due to mutations in genes other than those that express rRNA. Because we target the rRNA for detection of GC, which is not affected by the mutations, the APTIMA Combo 2 assay will detect the drug resistant strains of GC.” While TTS' preparedness to detect the HO41 "superbug" should a client contract it provides an important element of security for adult performers, no case of the strain has yet appeared anywhere in the world except for a single instance in Japan in 2009, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.