Antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea cases are on the rise, officials warn

Rates of Syphilis increased by almost 10 per cent in 2023 compared to 2022

Undated handout file photo issued by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of gonorrhoea bacteria (PA/CDC). (PA Media)

Antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea cases in England are on the rise and could spread more widely, health officials have warned.

A new alert has been sent about ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea after 15 cases, including five which were extremely resistant, have been detected since June 2022. Prior to 2022 there had only ever been nine cases found.

UK Health Security Agency said in 2023, over 85,000 gonorrhoea diagnoses were reported in England, the highest number since records began in 1918.

While the sexually-transmitted infection can usually be easily treated with antibiotics some strains are resistant and are harder to treat.

Ceftriaxone is the first choice antibiotic used to treat gonorrhoea in England.

According to UKHSA all cases to date have been detected among heterosexual individuals, mostly in their 20s - most acquired the infection abroad.

Although the number of cases is small the public health body said increasing numbers were concerning as it increases the chances of wider spread infections and further treatment challenges.

Dr Helen Fifer, consultant microbiologist at UKHSA, said: “Gonorrhoea is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, risking the possibility of it becoming untreatable in the future. Untreated gonorrhoea can lead to serious health issues, including pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. Condoms are the best defence, but if you didn’t use one with a recent new or casual partner, get tested to detect the infection and prevent onward transmission.”

The public health body also levied further warnings over the increase in syphilis rates with 9,513, a 9.4 per cent increase from 2022. Rates of Syphilis were highest among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, but the biggest proportional rise was in heterosexual individuals.

Although the rise in identified cases of gonorrhoea and syphilis is in part due to an increase in testing UKHSA said it may also be driven by increased transmission rates.

Professor Matt Phillips, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), said: “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.

“BASHH, alongside sector partners, has repeatedly called for a sexual health strategy for England; this must be a priority if our expert sexual health workforce are to effectively meet these growing and changing needs in sexual health.”