New cases of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea identified in England

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is resistant to ceftriaxone - the main antibiotic used in the UK to treat the STI

An electron microscope picture of the gonorrhoea virus (Science Photo Library)

Three new cases of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea have been identified in England, the UK Health Security Agency confirmed today.

A woman in her 20s in London and a heterosexual couple in their 20s based in the Midlands have been diagnosed with Neisseria gonorrhoeae - the bacteria which causes the sexually transmitted infection (STI).

The strain is resistant to ceftriaxone, which is the main antibiotic used in the UK to treat the STI. The three new cases are in addition to the cases announced in December 2021.

The results of follow-up tests are still awaited to see if treatment has been successful in the three recent cases. In the case identified in December 2021 the man, in his early 20s, was treated successfully.

Dr Katy Sinka, STI Section Head at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said: “After a couple of years without any cases of this hard to treat form of gonorrhoea, we have now seen 4 cases in the last 2 months. It’s too soon to say whether this will be the start of a longer-term trend, but we do know that STIs are on the rise in general.

“Getting an STI isn’t as simple as taking some medicine and moving on with your life – if not properly treated, they can have long term impacts on your and your partner’s health. Adding antibiotic resistance into the mix makes the impact on your life even greater.

“There are simple steps you can take to reduce your risk of gonorrhoea and other STIs. Use condoms consistently and correctly with all new or casual partners, test regularly for STIs and if you have any symptoms such as unusual discharge, don’t have sex until you are tested.”

Typical symptoms of gonorrhoea include a thick green or yellow discharge from the vagina or penis, pain when urinating, pain and discomfort in the rectum and, in women and other people with a uterus or ovaries, lower abdominal pain and bleeding between periods.

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