A highly drug-resistant strain of gonorrhoea has triggered an unprecedented national public health alert in England, with 15 cases detected since March. The outbreak, first identified in Leeds, has spread to Macclesfield, Oldham, and Scunthorpe, and involves heterosexual patients, some of whom reported partners from other parts of England.
Public Health England (PHE) is concerned that the effectiveness of current frontline dual therapy—azithromycin and ceftriaxone—will be threatened if this resistant strain continues to spread unchecked. The bacteria have so far resisted azithromycin, one of the standard treatments. Without treatment, gonorrhoea can lead to infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease, and in pregnant women, permanent blindness in newborns.
The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV reported that an outbreak control team has been convened, and next-generation sequencing is being performed to better understand the molecular epidemiology. PHE noted that drug-resistant cases are rare, but the EU's infectious diseases monitor has warned about the growing threat for years.
Dr Peter Greenhouse, a consultant in sexual health in Bristol, said the national alert implies many more undetected cases. 'If this becomes the predominant strain in the UK we’re in big trouble,' he warned, emphasising the need for meticulous contact tracing and treatment.
The news comes as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported a 79% rise in gonorrhoea rates in Europe since 2008, with the UK accounting for 61% of all cases. The centre highlighted ongoing unsafe sexual behaviour and a worrying number of antimicrobial-resistant strains, stressing the urgent need for new antibiotics.
