Latest news with #Neisseriagonorrhoeae
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
New test could transform diagnosis and treatment of STIs
A new rapid test for sexually transmitted infections could soon transform on-the-spot diagnosis and treatment. Birmingham-based Linear Diagnostics has secured £1 million in funding to develop the technology, which could deliver results in less than 20 minutes. The funding comes from the NIHR Invention for Innovation programme and will support a three-year project to finalise the test and prepare it for clinical trials. Dr Jean-Louis Duprey, head of research and development at Linear Diagnostics, said: "We are developing a near patient device that will overcome this conundrum." The company is working with the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre and the North East Innovation Lab to deliver the project. Dr Jana Suklan, senior methodologist at the HRC, said: "The NIHR HRC in Diagnostic and Technology Evaluation is delighted to be collaborating with the North East Innovation Lab to support Linear Diagnostics with their exciting technology. "Our research involves analysing unmet needs, examining current practice and identifying the most promising point in the patient pathway for implementing the technology." The test uses Linear's Exponential Amplification (EXPAR) technology, which detects bacterial DNA within minutes. The company has focused on STIs such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis, where rapid diagnosis is essential to prevent further transmission and begin treatment immediately.
Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Health
- Belfast Telegraph
World's first gonorrhoea vaccination programme approved for NI roll-out this summer
Individuals who have a sexually transmitted infection and gay and bisexual men who have a recent history of multiple sexual partners or sexually transmitted infections are among those eligible for the jab which will be offered from August. Research shows that the vaccine could offer up to 40% protection against infection and help tackle increasing levels of antibiotic restraint against the bacteria, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Health Minister Mike Nesbitt encouraged anyone eligible for the vaccine to get it in order to protect themselves and others. 'With gonorrhoea cases rising, the launch of this world-first vaccine programme is important and very timely for Northern Ireland's public health,' he said. 'By targeting those most at risk, we have an opportunity to curb the spread and reduce transmission rates from this complex disease, and to prevent thousands of cases over the next few years. 'STIs aren't just an inconvenience, they can seriously impact on your health and that of any sexual partners. If you are offered the vaccine, I strongly encourage you take it, it is an important step to protect yourself and others.' The vaccine will be administered by local Health and Social Care Trusts (HSCTs) through GUM clinics. x It follows advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) in November 2023, which recommended commencing roll out of the vaccine following an upsurge in gonorrhoea diagnoses Chief Medical Officer Professor Sir Michael McBride said: 'The introduction of the vaccination programme will have significant public health benefits for both those who receive the vaccine, and the wider population. 'The programme has the potential to result in less patients presenting with more complex cases and clusters of gonorrhoea. I would encourage all of those eligible to take up the vaccine when offered later in the year.' Gonorrhoea is a bacterial STI caused by the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacterium. Gonorrhoea is transmitted through unprotected sex or genital contact with an infected partner – even if an infected person has no symptoms the infection can still be transmitted. It is now the most commonly diagnosed bacterial STI in NI. Around 8 out of 10 infections occur in men with gay and bisexual men most commonly affected.
South Wales Argus
5 days ago
- Health
- South Wales Argus
Birmingham firm secures £1 million to develop STI rapid test
Birmingham-based Linear Diagnostics has secured £1 million in funding to develop the technology, which could deliver results in less than 20 minutes. The funding comes from the NIHR Invention for Innovation programme and will support a three-year project to finalise the test and prepare it for clinical trials. Dr Jean-Louis Duprey, head of research and development at Linear Diagnostics, said: "We are developing a near patient device that will overcome this conundrum." The company is working with the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre and the North East Innovation Lab to deliver the project. Dr Jana Suklan, senior methodologist at the HRC, said: "The NIHR HRC in Diagnostic and Technology Evaluation is delighted to be collaborating with the North East Innovation Lab to support Linear Diagnostics with their exciting technology. "Our research involves analysing unmet needs, examining current practice and identifying the most promising point in the patient pathway for implementing the technology." The test uses Linear's Exponential Amplification (EXPAR) technology, which detects bacterial DNA within minutes. The company has focused on STIs such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis, where rapid diagnosis is essential to prevent further transmission and begin treatment immediately.
ITV News
03-06-2025
- Health
- ITV News
'Concerning jump' in antibiotic resistant gonorrhoea
There has been a "concerning jump" in cases of gonorrhoea resistant to strong antibiotics, health officials have warned. New figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show there have been more cases of the sexually transmitted infection (STI) that are resistant to the antibiotic ceftriaxone so far in 2025 than the whole of last year. Overall, there was a 16% drop in gonorrhoea cases in 2024 in England, with 71,802 diagnoses, compared with 85,370 in 2023. However, ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea cases are being detected more frequently - with 14 in the first five months of 2025 compared with 13 in the whole of the previous year. Six of the 14 cases this year have been "extensively drug-resistant", which means that they were resistant to ceftriaxone and then to second-line treatment options, according to the UKHSA. What is gonorrhoea? According to the NHS, Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It is often symptomless, but symptoms can include unusual discharge from the genitals, pain during urination or sex, a sore throat, or redness in the eyes. Untreated gonorrhoea can cause serious complications which can lead to infertility in both men and women. If you think you might have gonorrhoea you can get tested for free through the NHS, either with a self-test kit or by going to a sexual health clinic. Gonorrhoea is treated with a single dose of antibiotics, which can be an injection or tablets. You would need to go back to your GP or clinic about a week later to check you no longer have gonorrhoea. Ceftriaxone is a strong antibiotic and the main treatment for gonorrhoea. Experts are therefore concerned when infections fail to respond to it. Most of these drug-resistant cases are linked with travel to or from the Asia-Pacific region, where the prevalence of ceftriaxone resistance is high. Elsewhere, among people in England, early-stage syphilis diagnoses rose 1.7%, from 9,375 in 2023 to 9,535 in 2024. The overall figure for syphilis, including late-stage syphilis or complications from the infection, increased 5% from 12,456 in 2023 to 13,030 in 2024. Chlamydia fell 13%, from 194,143 diagnoses in 2023 to 168,889 in 2024, while people diagnosed for the first time with genital warts also dropped. Among women aged 15 to 24 who are recommended to be screened through the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP), there was a 10.7% decrease in the number of chlamydia tests carried out, from 673,102 to 601,295. Dr Hamish Mohammed, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: "Levels of STIs in this country remain a big threat to sexual wellbeing. "These infections can have a major impact on your health and that of any sexual partners - particularly if they are antibiotic resistant. "If you've had condomless sex with new or casual partners - either in the UK or overseas - get tested for STIs and HIV at least yearly, even if you don't have symptoms. Regular testing protects both you and those you're having sex with. "From August, eligible people will also be offered vaccination to reduce the risk of gonorrhoea and we expect to see the immunisation programme have an impact on diagnoses of this infection in coming years - please take up the vaccine if you are offered it."
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
IIIT-Delhi, French researchers develop AI tool to outsmart drug-resistant superbugs
New Delhi: In a boost to scientific advancement aimed at curbing the global threat of drug-resistant infections, researchers from the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology-Delhi ( IIIT-Delhi ) and France's Inria Saclay have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based system that can recommend effective combinations of existing antibiotics to fight superbugs . Superbugs are germs like bacteria and fungi that cause hard-to-treat infections. Most superbugs are bacteria that have developed antibiotic resistance - the ability to survive antibiotic medications. The project, jointly led by Professor Angshul Majumdar and Dr Emilie Chouzenoux, is part of a broader India-France research collaboration between Deep Light (Delhi) and CentraleSupelec, a French engineering school, said an official statement of IIIT-D. The team includes engineer Stuti Jain and graduate researchers Kriti Kumar and Sayantika Chatterjee, it added. "This is an excellent example of how AI and international collaboration can come together to solve real-world medical challenges and our method makes it possible to use existing knowledge more effectively and opens the door to smarter, faster responses to antimicrobial resistance (AMR)," Prof. Majumdar told PTI. AMR occurs when bacteria adapt to antibiotics, rendering them ineffective. Prof. Majumdar said the misuse of antibiotics, particularly in countries like India, is a major contributor to the crisis. "We often take antibiotics even for viral infections, which don't require them. Over time, bacteria evolve and adapt. As a result, even simple infections like urinary tract infections or wounds can become resistant to treatment," he added. The AI system that the team developed goes far beyond traditional rule-based models. It analyzes real-world clinical decisions from leading Indian hospitals and combines this with bacterial genome data and the chemical structure of antibiotics to recommend optimal treatment options. The system was successfully tested on multi-drug resistant strains like Klebsiella pneumoniae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Prof. Majumdar shared a harrowing case from AIIMS, Kalyani, where a young patient's artificial hip joint became infected and was unresponsive to even last-resort antibiotics. "It was a simple muscle infection, but it became untreatable. The patient from a poor family was left bedridden and without options," he said. "This is the reality of AMR - it can devastate lives even when the infection seems ordinary." The professor said the AI model offers combination therapy suggestions, mirroring how doctors treat advanced cases today. "Instead of recommending one antibiotic, our system can propose a cocktail of drugs based on the genome sequence of the bacteria," said Majumdar. "Doctors can ask for five or ten possible options for a specific strain and the AI suggests viable treatments," he added. While the model is currently focused on bacterial infections, it can be retrained to tackle viral infections or even lifestyle diseases like hypertension, where drug resistance is emerging. "Our core motivation was to address infectious diseases - a problem that plagues countries in Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America far more than it does the West," said Majumdar. "There's less funding for this kind of work, but the impact is massive," he added. The team hopes that their model would eventually be embedded in hospital systems and public health frameworks, particularly in regions with limited access to advanced diagnostics. With AMR recognized as one of the most pressing global health threats of the 21st century, this AI-powered solution may offer doctors a timely, data-driven ally in the battle to preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics.
