Latest news with #MeningitisB
BBC News
14-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Potential new antibiotic for treating gonorrhoea
Scientists believe they have found a new effective antibiotic for gonorrhoea, which could be one of the most promising in decades. Gepotidacin can treat and clear the sexually transmitted infection just as well as existing antibiotics and appears to be able to tackle some emerging drug-resistant 'superbug' strains too, say researchers in The Lancet journal. The work was funded by pharmaceutical company GSK which makes the new tablets. Gonorrhoea is one of the most common STIs in the UK and cases have been rising. In 2023, over 85,000 gonorrhoea diagnoses were reported in England alone - the highest number since records began in 1918. Most of the cases were treatable, but there is growing concern that some strains can't be dealt with so time, the bacterium has developed resistance to most classes of available antibiotics and experts fear it may become untreatable in the future, unless new drugs are found. Untreated gonorrhoea can lead to serious health issues, including pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. Gepotidacin works differently to other antibiotics and stops gonorrhoea from replicating by blocking two essential enzymes. It's already approved in the US for treating urinary tract infections. The trial, being presented at the ESCMID conference, involved 628 patients randomly allocated to receive gepotidacin or an existing antibiotic. The new pill was equally effective for treating gonorrhoea and worked against strains of the infection that were resistant to current first-line treatments, such as ceftriaxone. Side-effects were reported more frequently with gepotidacin, but they were generally mild, such as nausea or some stomach discomfort. Gepotidacine is not the only new oral antibiotic for gonorrhoea that researchers are exploring. Another, called zoliflodacin, has also shown promise in phase 3 clinical trials. Meanwhile, the UK is considering a vaccine to help stop the spread of November 2023, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended a targeted roll-out of the MenB designed to tackle Meningitis B in children, the JCVI found the treatment was roughly 40% effective at preventing people from contracting and spreading gonorrhoea. Dr Katy Sinka, consultant epidemiologist and head of the STI section at UK Health Security Agency, said it was "really promising" to see a successful trial for a new antibiotic to treat gonorrhoea."As gonorrhoea becomes increasingly resistant to antibiotics, it could become untreatable in future and cause serious problems like pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. Trials like this are so important to help us discover new treatment options."She said the best way to prevent an STI is by using a condom. If someone has had condom-less sex with a new or casual partner, they should get tested. "Early detection not only protects a person's health but prevents transmission to others. Testing is quick, free and confidential," she said. Gonorrhoea: quick facts Gonorrhoea is easily passed from person to person through unprotected sexAround one in 10 infected men and almost half of infected women do not experience any symptomsThe infection can be passed from a pregnant woman to her baby, and without treatment, can cause permanent blindness for a newborn babyIt is not spread by non-sexual contact like huggingIt is not transmitted through surfaces and materials like toilet seats, towels, cups or platesIf you've had successful treatment for gonorrhoea before, you can still catch it againSource: NHSMore information and advice is available on this NHS webpage.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Doctors and charities call for gonorrhoea vaccine roll-out
Max was in the shower when he got a call few would want. "My phone is connected to a speaker in the shower. That goes off, and I'm like: 'Oh no'," he says. He was told he'd tested positive for gonorrhoea. His was one of more than 85,000 cases in England last year - the highest level ever recorded. Numbers are similarly high across the rest of the UK and have more than doubled over the last decade. Catching gonorrhoea once doesn't stop you from getting it again. "I went from having no STIs in my life, to having three or four in the space of three months. It was ridiculous," Max tells BBC Newsbeat. Gonorrhoea is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the UK. Many, like Max, show no symptoms but it can cause pain in the joints and genitals, coloured discharge and problems getting pregnant. Using a condom during sex is usually said to be the best way of reducing the risk of catching it, but doesn't eliminate it entirely. It can be treated with a single injection of antibiotics, although a small number of treatment-resitant cases have been found in the UK. In November 2023, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended a targeted roll-out of the MenB vaccine. Primarily designed to tackle Meningitis B in children, the JCVI found the treatment was roughly 40% effective at preventing people from contracting and spreading gonorrhoea. The body, which considers whether different immunisations should be offered on the NHS, said it would be cost-effective if given to people who are most at risk of catching gonorrhoea. That includes gay and bisexual men and people who have had an STI in the past. The JCVI said the money saved from fewer appointments and antibiotic treatments would be greater than the cost of the vaccines. Prof Matt Phillips, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), tells BBC Newsbeat it's "pushing for this to happen as soon as possible". "If we don't deal with it now, we're going to see more people with serious types of gonorrhoea and more cases of antibiotic resistance," he says. "The science says we should do this, the JCVI says we should do this. Let's get it done." Other charities working in sexual health tell BBC Newsbeat they agree, including the Terrence Higgins Trust which says "it's time to put money where it needs to be. The time is now". A spokesperson for the Department for Health and Social Care says "we want everyone to have good access to sexual health services and treatment. "We're currently considering the JCVI advice and we will update in due course." They also added: "Last month we announced a boost of almost £200m to the public health grant, which funds sexual health clinics across the country". Max, who creates educational online content on sexual health and wellbeing aimed at gay and bisexual men, says he would "absolutely" take the vaccine if he was offered it. He shared his own gonnorhoea diagnosis online and believes we should be more open about discussing STIs to reduce the stigma around them. "There's a lot of shame around it," he says. "People think it's dirty. I felt like talking about it online not only normalised getting tested and having the treatment, but also took away the shame. "Even if you're doing everything right, you can still get an STI". The latest data on STIs shows under-25s, black men and gay and bisexual men are most likely to catch gonnorhoea. Max says he's often had to work harder to get information on sexual health which he didn't get in school. "I think as queer people we have to go out of our way to get the information," he says. "It's not something we're actively taught". One of the organisations looking to change that is The Love Tank, based in London. It campaigns on sexual health and other areas of wellness for LGBT+ people, including drug abuse and mental health. It told BBC Newsbeat it also supports the campaign to have the MenB vaccine offered on the NHS. "Sexual health services are already massively underfunded and understaffed", says project co-ordinator Phil Samba. "I feel like we should all be talking about sexual health," he says. "It should be as normalised as going to the dentist". He also says he's noticed more people he knows testing positive for gonorrhoea, and says he's caught it himself "repeatedly". Phil and The Love Tank also campaign for a wider use of Doxy-PEP, where the antibiotic doxycycline is taken in advance of sex to prevent some sexually transmitted bacterial infections being caught. Neither Doxy-PEP nor the MenB vaccine are currently offered for free on the NHS in sexual health clinics, but can be bought through online pharmacies. Both Boots and Superdrug offer private vaccination on the High Street for £110 per dose. Phil thinks it's important, though, that MenB is available to anyone who needs it, and says funding for drugs like PrEP to prevent HIV, and vaccines for mpox - formerly referred to as monkeypox - have come too late. "We have not learned from the past," says Phil. "We need to learn from mistakes and try to provide people with resources, vaccines and medications. Surely we should be taking care of people's health". Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.
BBC News
25-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Doctors and charities call for 'gonorrhoea vaccine' roll-out
Max was in the shower when he got a call few would want. "My phone is connected to a speaker in the shower. That goes off, and I'm like: 'Oh no'," he was told he'd tested positive for was one of more than 85,000 cases in England last year - the highest level ever recorded. Numbers are similarly high across the rest of the UK and have more than doubled over the last decade. Catching gonorrhoea once doesn't stop you from getting it again."I went from having no STIs in my life, to having three or four in the space of three months. It was ridiculous," Max tells BBC is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the like Max, show no symptoms but it can cause pain in the joints and genitals, coloured discharge and problems getting pregnant. Using a condom during sex is usually said to be the best way of reducing the risk of catching it, but doesn't eliminate it can be treated with a single injection of antibiotics, although a small number of treatment-resitant cases have been found in the UK. 'Let's get it done' In November 2023, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommended a targeted roll-out of the MenB vaccine. Primarily designed to tackle Meningitis B in children, the JCVI found the treatment was roughly 40% effective at preventing people from contracting and spreading body, which considers whether different immunisations should be offered on the NHS, said it would be cost-effective if given to people who are most at risk of catching includes gay and bisexual men and people who have had an STI in the JCVI said the money saved from fewer appointments and antibiotic treatments would be greater than the cost of the Matt Phillips, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), tells BBC Newsbeat it's "pushing for this to happen as soon as possible"."If we don't deal with it now, we're going to see more people with serious types of gonorrhoea and more cases of antibiotic resistance," he says."The science says we should do this, the JCVI says we should do this. Let's get it done."Other charities working in sexual health tell BBC Newsbeat they agree, including the Terrence Higgins Trust which says "it's time to put money where it needs to be. The time is now".A spokesperson for the Department for Health and Social Care says "we want everyone to have good access to sexual health services and treatment. "We're currently considering the JCVI advice and we will update in due course."They also added: "Last month we announced a boost of almost £200m to the public health grant, which funds sexual health clinics across the country". 'There's a lot of shame around it' Max, who creates educational online content on sexual health and wellbeing aimed at gay and bisexual men, says he would "absolutely" take the vaccine if he was offered it. He shared his own gonnorhoea diagnosis online and believes we should be more open about discussing STIs to reduce the stigma around them."There's a lot of shame around it," he says. "People think it's dirty. I felt like talking about it online not only normalised getting tested and having the treatment, but also took away the shame."Even if you're doing everything right, you can still get an STI".The latest data on STIs shows under-25s, black men and gay and bisexual men are most likely to catch gonnorhoea. Max says he's often had to work harder to get information on sexual health which he didn't get in school. "I think as queer people we have to go out of our way to get the information," he says."It's not something we're actively taught". 'I've gotten gonorrhoea repeatedly' One of the organisations looking to change that is The Love Tank, based in London. It campaigns on sexual health and other areas of wellness for LGBT+ people, including drug abuse and mental told BBC Newsbeat it also supports the campaign to have the MenB vaccine offered on the NHS."Sexual health services are already massively underfunded and understaffed", says project co-ordinator Phil Samba."I feel like we should all be talking about sexual health," he says. "It should be as normalised as going to the dentist".He also says he's noticed more people he knows testing positive for gonorrhoea, and says he's caught it himself "repeatedly". Phil and The Love Tank also campaign for a wider use of Doxy-PEP, where the antibiotic doxycycline is taken in advance of sex to prevent some sexually transmitted bacterial infections being caught. Neither Doxy-PEP nor the MenB vaccine are currently offered for free on the NHS in sexual health clinics, but can be bought through online pharmacies. Both Boots and Superdrug offer private vaccination on the High Street for £110 per thinks it's important, though, that MenB is available to anyone who needs it, and says funding for drugs like PrEP to prevent HIV, and vaccines for mpox - formerly referred to as monkeypox - have come too late."We have not learned from the past," says Phil. "We need to learn from mistakes and try to provide people with resources, vaccines and medications. Surely we should be taking care of people's health". Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.
