Gargling with Listerine stops spread of gonorrhoea, study suggests

Daily rinsing and gargling with a commercial brand of mouthwash could help control the spread of gonorrhoea, a new study suggests.

Researchers noted increasing cases of gonorrhoea among men who had sex with men and sought to establish whether Listerine had an "inhibitory effect" against the bacteria that causes the infection.
They conducted a clinical trial involving 196 gay or bisexual men who had previously tested positive for gonorrhoea in their mouths and throat and were returning for treatment at a clinic in Melbourne, Australia.
Of these, 58 tested positive for the bacteria in their throats on their return visits between May 2015 and February 2016.
The researchers split that group so 33 men were randomly assigned to rinse and gargle with Listerine, while 25 did the same with a saline solution.
Results showed the proportion of viable gonorrhoea in the throat was 52% after rinsing and gargling with Listerine for one minute, compared with 84% among the saline solution group.
The study, published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections, concluded: "Our data provides preliminary evidence to support the further investigation of mouthwash as a non-condom-based control...