Gonorrhoea could become untreatable, experts say
Antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea is rapidly increasing in prevalence and could become ‘untreatable’ in the future, health officials have warned.
Between June 2022 and May 2024, scientists working at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) identified 15 cases in England that were resistant to the antibiotic ceftriaxone, the first option drug used to treat the condition in the UK.
Dr Helen Fifer, a consultant microbiologist at the UKHSA, said that if ‘left untreated, gonorrhoea can cause major health issues, including problems with your pelvis and infertility’.
Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI), which is spread mainly by contact with genitals or bodily fluids. Symptoms include a thick green or yellow discharge from the vagina or penis; pain when urinating; and, in women, bleeding between periods, according to the NHS.
It is easily diagnosed with a swab or urine test and is typically treated with a single antibiotic. However, health officials have said that growing levels of antimicrobial resistance, where the bacteria causing the infection evolves to become resistant to medication, is an increasing concern across a range of diseases.
With 85,000 cases of the STI reported in England last year — the highest level since 1918 — UKHSA officials have urged people to ‘maintain good sexual health’ and get regularly tested.
‘Condoms are the best defence, but if you didn't use one with a recent new or casual partner, get tested to detect the infection and prevent onwards transmission,’ said Dr Fifer.
Professor Matt Phillips, the president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), said that the rise of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea infections is a ‘worrying trend’ which ‘can create physical and psychological harms and place additional demands on other parts of the NHS’.
BASHH, alongside sector partners, has called for a sexual health strategy for England. Phillips said: ‘This must be a priority if our expert sexual health workforce are to effectively meet these growing and changing needs in sexual health.’
Fast-track care could provide earlier diagnosis of ovarian cancer
One in four women with the most aggressive form of ovarian cancer could receive an earlier diagnosis through fast-track testing.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham found that symptom triggered testing prioritises blood tests and ultrasounds for women who have symptoms such as bloating, bowel changes, appetite changes or abdominal pain, leading to timely diagnosis.
Professor Sudha Sundar, of the Pan Birmingham Gynaecological Cancer Centre and author of the study, said: ‘Although this [symptom triggered testing] has existed since 2011, it's never really been clear-cut if this is useful for patients. What our study has shown is that, yes, you can pick it up, but you can also pick it up early. Potentially we are not just able to identify women with cancer but pick up ovarian cancer at a stage where it makes a very big difference for the individual.’
Over 4,000 women in the UK die from ovarian cancer each year, according to data from the Cancer Research UK. One in 10 cases of ovarian cancer are preventable, and earlier diagnosis can lead to better treatment and longer survival rates.
The researchers looked at data from the Refining Ovarian Cancer Test accuracy Scores (ROCkeTS) study, which involved 24 hospitals across the UK. Of the 1,741 patients who had their ovarian cancer test fast-tracked, 119 were diagnosed with high grade serous ovarian cancer, one of the more deadly variations of the disease.
Over a quarter (25.2%) of patients included in the study had been diagnosed with stage one or two ovarian cancer, and of these women, 93% went on to survive for more than five years. The fast-track testing enabled 78 out of 119 access surgery to remove as many cancer cells from the abdomen as possible, while 36 patients were given chemotherapy before surgery.
Professor Sundar said that she hopes the findings will raise awareness for more GPs to issue such tests for ovarian cancer and encourage women with potential symptoms to get them checked out. ‘We also hope women who have these symptoms will know something is not right and will speak to their GP,’ she said.