It seems one sexually-transmitted disease is becoming harder and harder to control, according to health authorities.

A conference over the weekend has heard it is getting much more difficult to control outbreaks of gonorrhoea, suggesting the virus may be mutating into a new drug-resistant form.

Scientists from around Australia and overseas explored the issue of superbugs and their drug-resistance at the health forum in Surfers Paradise. Associate professor David Whiley from the University of Queensland made an address claiming a form of gonorrhoea that is resistant to treatment is spreading globally.

“We've now got strains that have acquired resistance mutations to all of the recommended treatments,” he said, “Our concern is when resistant strains emerge overseas they very quickly find their way into Australia through so many people flying internationally these days... once you start to see resistant strains pop up it is not long at all ... that these things start to spread between populations and through different countries.”

As the problem escalates in centres around the world, many scientists will be eagerly chasing a new treatment: “they have developed resistance to all of the recommended treatments and now we are on a search to identify suitable alternatives,” Dr Whiley says.