The Threat of Antibiotic Resistant Gonorrhoea

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has reported a “concerning rise” in antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea infections across England

CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on UK Healthcare News

In the past year, England reported over 85,000 diagnoses of gonorrhoea, marking the highest number since records began in 1918. While gonorrhoea is typically easy to treat, there is a growing concern about antibiotic-resistant strains, including cases resistant to ceftriaxone. Notably, seven of these cases were classified as extensively drug-resistant, meaning they were resistant to both first and second-line treatments, as well as other antibiotics.

Professor Matt Phillips, president at the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, added: “The rise of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea infections in England is a worrying trend that must be addressed with immediate action. Antibiotic resistance of STIs poses an increasingly major public health threat, which can create physical and psychological harms and place additional demands on other parts of the NHS.”

Ceftriaxone, the primary treatment for gonorrhoea, has faced increasing resistance with 15 cases of ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea identified in England between June 2022 and May 2024. This brings the total number of such cases to 31 since the first one was detected in 2015.

“Gonorrhoea is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, risking the possibility of it becoming untreatable in the future,” said UKHSA consultant microbiologist, Dr Helen Fifer.

The BASHH has consistently advocated for a dedicated sexual health strategy for England, emphasising that such a strategy is crucial for the UK’s expert sexual health workforce to effectively address the evolving and increasing demands in sexual health.