Public Health England (PHE) has issued a warning to the general public of the threat posed by antibiotic resistance in gonorrhoea.
PHE continues to monitor and investigate gonorrhoea cases that are highly resistant to the antibiotic ‘azithromycin’. Cases first emerged in the north of England in November 2014. Microbiologists and sexual health doctors in England are being notified that since September 2015 further cases have been confirmed in the West Midlands and in the South of England. This takes the total number of cases confirmed in England, between November 2014 and April 2016, to 34.
The current outbreak strain remains sensitive to the other drug used in first line therapy, ceftriaxone, meaning this drug is effective in treating these cases. However, if azithromycin becomes ineffective against gonorrhoea, there is no ‘second lock’ to prevent or delay the emergence of ceftriaxone resistance, andgonorrhoea may become untreatable.
The recent increase shows the very real threat of antibiotic resistance, and the importance of monitoring resistance to maintain treatment options, and promoting safe sex to prevent gonorrhoea.
