Latest news with #gonorrhoea
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Expert warns of spread of super-gonorrhoea resistant to antibiotics
Health officials have issued a warning over a "concerning jump" in cases of gonorrhoea that are resistant to strong antibiotics. New data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reveals that the number of cases of the sexually transmitted infection (STI) gonorrhoea, which are resistant to the antibiotic ceftriaxone, has already surpassed the total number of cases recorded in the previous year. While overall gonorrhoea cases in England saw a 16 per cent decrease in 2024, with 71,802 diagnoses compared to 85,370 in 2023, the rise in antibiotic-resistant strains remains a significant concern for health authorities. 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. 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.' Professor Matt Phillips, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, said: 'Whilst it is encouraging to see a fall in the total number of STI diagnoses this year, we nonetheless continue to see historically high rates of sexual infection, with particularly worrying continued increases in infections such as syphilis, which are at their highest-ever levels, and the continued spread of antibiotic-resistant disease. 'It is vital that clear steps are put in place to reverse these trends. He added: 'Sexual health services remain under immense pressure and these new tools risk being deployed into overstretched systems unable to support them effectively. 'We find ourselves at a critical point for securing the long-term viability of sexual health services in this country. 'Only a joined-up, ambitious national strategy can ensure that we are prepared not just for today's sexual health challenges, but for those we know are coming.'
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Syphilis and drug resistant gonorrhoea cases on the increase
New cases of the sexually transmitted infection syphilis have risen again in England, continuing a trend dating back to the early the overall number of people diagnosed with gonorrhoea has fallen, there has been a significant increase in the number of cases where the infection is drug resistant, new UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data shows. Health experts say this is a real concern, although the actual number of drug-resistant cases remains very low. The NHS recently announced the rollout of the world's first vaccine programme to protect against gonorrhoea, aimed principally at gay and bisexual men. Overall, there were 9,535 diagnoses of what is described as early-stage syphilis in England in 2024, up 2% on the overall figure for syphilis, including what is called late-stage syphilis, or complications from the infection, rose 5% to 13, figures for gonorrhoea show a more complicated 2024 saw a 16% fall in gonorrhoea cases, with 71,802 diagnoses compared to 85,370 in 2023, with the greatest fall among 15- to 24-year-olds. Giulia Habib Meriggi, a surveillance and prevention scientist for sexually transmitted infections at UKHSA, urged caution over the decline."This is the first year in the last couple of years where [the numbers] have actually gone down," she said."It's still the third highest number of cases we've had in a year in recorded history, so it is sort of good news but it doesn't mean it will stay that way. "It is obviously really important for people to still get tested regularly and use condoms with new partners." Drug resistant gonorrhoea on the rise By contrast, there has been an acceleration in diagnoses of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea. Some strains of the bacteria which causes the disease no longer respond to the first-line treatment, the antibiotic numbers themselves remain low, with 14 cases reported in the first five months of 2025, compared with 13 cases for the whole of 2024. But six of those 14 cases so far this year have been extensively drug-resistant, meaning they were resistant not just to ceftriaxone but also to second-line treatment of the ceftriaxone resistant cases were linked with travel to or from the Asia-Pacific region, where levels of ceftriaxone resistance are scientist Prarthana Narayanan describes the trend as "worrying"."The numbers are still small but the reason this is worrying is because, once resistance in gonorrhoea becomes endemic, then it becomes extremely hard to treat, because ceftriaxone is the last first-line therapy we have for it. "We want to make sure that the spread of resistant strains is reduced as much as possible to try and prolong how long we can use ceftriaxone to treat it for," she said. What are the symptoms of syphilis and gonorrhoea? Syphilis can present as small sores or ulcers on and around the genitals, as well as white or grey warty growthsSores in other areas, including in your mouth or on your lips, hands or bottomA rash on the palms of your hands and soles of your feet that can sometimes spread all over your bodyWhite patches in your mouthFlu-like symptoms, such as a high temperature, headaches, tiredness and swollen glandsPatchy hair loss on the head, beard and eyebrowsGonorrhoea can cause fluid or discharge from the penis or vaginaA burning pain when you urinatePain in the lower abdomen (for women) or sore testicles Growing concern over drug resistance Numbers of sexually transmitted infections remain high, warns UKHSA, with the impact felt felt mainly in 15- to 24-year-olds, gay and bisexual men and some minority ethnic groups. But the increase in drug resistant cases of gonorrhoea is a real concern, amid wider worries around the growth in antimicrobial World Health Organisation describes antimicrobial resistance as an issue of global concern and one of the biggest threats to global health. It threatens our ability to treat common infections and to perform life-saving procedures, including chemotherapy for cancer, caesarean sections, hip replacements, organ transplants and other is why, even though only 14 cases of drug-resistant gonorrhoea were identified this year, health experts urge anyone having sex with new or casual partners to use a condom and get tested regularly, whatever their age or sexual orientation.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Syphilis Britain! Cases of Victorian-era STI hit record highs, new data reveals...do you live in a UK hotspot?
One in every 1,000 people in parts of England have the sexually transmitted infection (STI) syphilis, as officials warn cases have reached the highest level since 1948. Lambeth, in South London, was the nation's syphilis capital with almost 138 cases per 100,000 people last year. This is equivalent to just over one in every 1,000 people in the borough having the STI which can cause life threatening problems if left untreated. Officials from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said a total of 9,535 syphilis cases were detected in 2024, an increase of 1.7 per cent compared to the year prior. They added the number cases was the largest number in 76 years. MailOnline has now created a fascinating map allowing to see how your area compares for multiple STIs in the current outbreak. Officials also raised the alarm about a rise in drug resistant super-gonorrhoea. While overall cases of this STI fell 16 per cent—from 85,370 in 2023 to 71,802 last year—cases of antibiotic resistant strains have recently soared. UKKSA said a total of 14 cases of drug resistant gonorrhoea had been reported as of May this year, which is more than 13 recorded in the entirety of 2024. Even more concerning is that six of cases recorded in 2025 are what experts call 'extensively drug resistant'—or XDR gonorrhoea. This strain of the infection is resistant to both ceftriaxone— the frontline antibiotic normally used to combat gonorrhoea—as well as other medications, surviving and even thriving in patients despite treatment. Officials said the majority of cases drug resistant gonorrhoea were linked to travel to or from the Asia-Pacific region where such strains are more prevalent. After Lambeth, other hotspots for syphilis were also London boroughs with Westminster recording 131.4 cases per 100,000 people and Southwark with 107.4. The next highest area outside of the capital was Brighton and Hove with 49 cases per 100,000. In contrast, the part of England was the Isles of Scilly which recorded zero syphilis cases, followed by North Lincolnshire with 2.4 cases per 100,000. The national syphilis rate for the entirety of England was 16.5 cases per 100,000 people. Nationally, heterosexual men accounted for the largest jump in syphilis with cases jumping 23.8 per cent from last year to 1,380. However, men who have sex with men still accounted for the largest portion of cases of the STI at 6,330 cases, despite this being a small drop of 1.6 per cent compared to the year prior. Syphilis typically causes small sores to develop on or around the genitals and/or anus, and white warty growths in the same areas. It usually takes three weeks from infection to develop symptoms from infection. Left untreated it can cause extremely serious and life-threatening health problems, harming the function of the heart, brain, nerves and other organs. Dr Hamish Mohammed, consultant epidemiologist at UKHSA, urged Britons to follow safe sex guidance and use condoms with new or casual partners. 'These infections can have a major impact on your health and that of any sexual partners – particularly if they are antibiotic resistant,' he said. '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.' Data for other STIs show rates of chlamydia fell 13 per cent to 168,889 diagnoses in 2024, while cases of genital warts also dropped. The latest annual data on the STI rates in England comes just a few weeks after the NHS announced it was launching a world-first a vaccine for gonorrhoea. Responding to the data, The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils responsible for commissioning sexual health services, warns that the system is struggling to keep pace with soaring demand for STI checks. Cllr David Fothergill, chairman of the LGA's community wellbeing board, said: 'These statistics show that local sexual health services are grappling with significant increases in demand.
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Experts warn of ‘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) gonorrhoea 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. 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.'
News24
3 days ago
- Health
- News24
Current gonorrhoea meds might stop working. When will newer ones make it to SA?
Two new antibiotics offer hope for people with gonorrhoea that is resistant to currently available drugs. But it might be years before the people who need these medicines can get them. Spotlight unpacks why these new antibiotics are important and what needs to happen before they can be used in South Africa. Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted infection known for its ability to mutate to evade the antibiotics used to treat it quickly. Its symptoms include pain when urinating and genital discharge, but many people don't notice any symptoms at all. If gonorrhoea is not treated, it can cause serious problems, including infertility, chronic pain and complications in babies, who risk developing infections that can cause eye damage and blindness. Gonorrhoea treatment has been a cat-and-mouse game as the bacteria continuously developed resistance against the antibiotics used to treat it. From the 1990s to the early 2000s, the antibiotic ciprofloxacin was used to treat gonorrhoea in South Africa, sometimes combined with another one called doxycycline. However, as high levels of ciprofloxacin resistance emerged, South Africa replaced this course of therapy with a regimen of cefixime and doxycycline. Gonorrhoea treatment was changed again in 2015 due to concerns regarding the emergence of cefixime resistance. The treatment regimen adopted in 2015 remains the standard of care in South Africa and much of the world today. It involves an intermuscular injection of ceftriaxone combined with oral azithromycin pills. However, some countries now recommend using high-dose injectable ceftriaxone on its own due to high levels of azithromycin resistance. While most gonorrhoea cases are still treatable with ceftriaxone, the emergence of ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea has been identified as a significant global health threat. 'The last effective drug we have, ceftriaxone, already indicates increasing gonococcal resistance. Without new antibiotics, we will have no easy treatment options. This is a great concern that will have a major impact in disease control efforts,' warned the World Health Organization (WHO). READ | There's a 'worrying' resurgence of sexually transmitted infections in Gauteng That is why two new antibiotics, zoliflodacin and gepotidacin, are considered a big deal. They are the first new medicines developed for gonorrhoea in over 30 years. Both are in new classes of antibiotics, which is to say they attack the bacterium differently than previous medicines. Because of this, they have little cross-resistance with existing treatments and, therefore, offer essential treatment options for people for whom the old medicines no longer work. How widespread is ceftriaxone-resistance in South Africa? How urgently we need access to the new medicines in South Africa will depend largely on the number of people who are resistant to ceftriaxone. Unfortunately, we don't have a clear picture of drug-resistant gonorrhoea in the country. South Africa introduced a syndromic management approach for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the mid-1990s, as recommended by the WHO. It means that people reporting STI symptoms at health facilities are treated according to their symptoms rather than the results of a lab test. This approach to STIs helps to reduce the cost burden of laboratory diagnosis. It allows for immediate treatment initiation without waiting for laboratory results since some patients are 'lost' over this period as they do not return to health facilities for their test results and treatment. A challenge with treating STIs according to symptoms rather than laboratory results is that many STIs present with similar symptoms. It can lead to misdiagnosis and incorrect treatment, as well as asymptomatic infections going undiagnosed and untreated. Thus, without lab testing, combined with routine STI screening to identify asymptomatic cases, it is difficult to understand the actual burden of gonorrhoea in the country or to measure the extent of drug resistance. A systematic review, however, indicates that while azithromycin resistance is a challenge in South Africa, there was no evidence of ceftriaxone resistance as of 2022. ALSO READ | Increase in STI cases: 'I have slept with more than six girls this month alone' The National Institutes of Communicable Diseases (NICD) classified ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea as a notifiable condition in 2017, meaning that any diagnosed cases must be reported to it. The NICD did not respond to a query from Spotlight as to whether there have been any confirmed cases of ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhoea in South Africa to date. While South Africa is not yet facing a ceftriaxone-resistance crisis, experts believe it is only a matter of time before this public health challenge reaches our borders, as global cases are increasing and the drug-resistant strain is transmittable. Some access to zoliflodacin Given the risk of a ceftriaxone-resistance crisis, it is essential that the two new antibiotics, zoliflodacin and gepotidacin, become available here as soon as possible. These new antibiotics have quite different histories. Zoliflodacin was developed by GARDP – a non-profit organisation working to accelerate the development of new antibiotics – in collaboration with the private biopharmaceutical company Innoviva. In November 2023, GARDP shared the results of its phase 3 trial of zoliflodacin, which took place in South Africa, Thailand, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United States. It tested the effectiveness of a single dose of oral zoliflodacin compared with the current standard of care treatment for gonorrhoea: an injection of ceftriaxone combined with oral azithromycin. The trial showed that a single dose of zoliflodacin works just as well as the standard of care. The results have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Zoliflodacin has also 'been shown to be active against all multidrug-resistant strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (the gonorrhoea bacteria), including those resistant to ceftriaxone, the last remaining recommended antibiotic treatment', GARDP's R&D project leader for STIs, Pierre Daram, told Spotlight. He added that Innoviva is in the process of applying to get the greenlight to use zoliflodacin in the United States. At the same time, GARDP plans to apply for approval in some of its regions, starting with Thailand and South Africa. GARDP is also developing a programme to make the unregistered drug available to patients with no other treatment options. 'The zoliflodacin managed access programme is about to be activated,' Daram said. 'The aim is to provide early access to zoliflodacin, prior to regulatory approval in a country, in response to individual patient requests by clinicians and whereby certain regulatory and clinical criteria are met.' South Africa will be one of the countries covered under this programme, said Daram. He explained that individual patient requests for treatment will be received from treating clinicians through an online platform. 'Based on information provided by the clinician and certain pre-determined regulatory and clinical criteria being met, GARDP will make a case-by-case decision as to whether zoliflodacin will be made available.' Daram added: 'Consideration is given to both clinical and diagnostic criteria for documentation of treatment failure.' Access to gepotidacin remains uncertain Shortly after results for zoliflodacin were announced, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) also shared positive findings for its new antibiotic in treating gonorrhoea. In April 2024, the company reported that a phase 3 trial showed that taking two doses of oral gepotidacin worked as well as the standard treatment. The results of this trial, which was conducted in Australia, Germany, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States, were published in the Lancet medical journal in May. While gepotidacin represents an important new treatment option for gonorrhoea, there is no indication that it will be available in South Africa soon. ALSO READ | From Cape Town to the US and back home: Epidemiologist Alex de Voux dreams of easy and cheap STI screenings Gepotidacin has not yet been registered for the treatment of gonorrhoea but was approved in March in the United States for treating uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women and girls over 12. Thus, the medicine will have a much larger market in the US than if it was only registered for treating gonorrhoea. The price that GSK will charge for gepotidacin has not yet been disclosed, but a spokesperson told Spotlight it is set to be launched in the US in the second half of 2025. '[T]he price in the US will be disclosed when the product will be commercialised,' said the GSK spokesperson. The company did not respond to Spotlight's questions about its plans to register and market gepotidacin in South Africa. What happens next? With the launch of the zoliflodacin managed access programme, clinicians in South Africa will soon be able to apply for the medicine for patients that are resistant to existing drugs. Given that ceftriaxone-resistance is rare in the country, the number of patients in the country that will be eligible for zoliflodacin is likely to be small. Securing broader access to zoliflodacin or gepotidacin, potentially for use as a first-line gonorrhoea treatment, appears to be a long way off. While GARDP is planning to file for registration of zoliflodacin in South Africa, GSK has not indicated whether it will follow suit for gepotidacin. Professor Nigel Garrett, head of HIV pathogenesis and vaccine research at the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa, said providing the new antibiotics for first-line gonorrhoea treatment could expand delivery and uptake. The new drugs are both oral tablets and would remove the need for an injection to treat gonorrhoea. If zoliflodacin and gepotidacin are approved and made affordable in South Africa, they could also play a vital role in strengthening the country's efforts to preserve the long-term effectiveness of other antibiotics. Ceftriaxone 'is a really important drug to keep, [to] make sure that there isn't too much resistance against it', Garrett told Spotlight. He explained that the medicine is needed to treat sepsis occurring in hospitals, as well as meningitis.
