The surveillance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae antimicrobial susceptibility in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) has been co-ordinated by ECDC since 2009. This surveillance is essential for detecting emerging and increasing antimicrobial resistance and making quality-assured data available to inform treatment guidelines.
Neisseria gonorrhoea continues to show high levels of resistance to azithromycin across the European Union and European Economic Area, according to the 2016 results of the European Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (Euro-GASP).
This rapid risk assessment evaluates the risk of transmission and further spread of OXA-48-producing Klebsiella pneumonia e ST392 from travellers having sought medical care in Gran Canaria to healthcare facilities in their country of origin in the EU/EEA.
The ECDC Communicable Disease Threats Report (CDTR) is a weekly bulletin for epidemiologists and health professionals on active public health threats. This issue covers the period 27 May - 2 June 2018 and includes updates on dengue, ebola virus disease, yellow fever, Cholera, monitoring environmental suitability of Vibrio growth in the Baltic Sea, Nipah virus disease, West Nile virus, Salmonella Agona, Rapid emergence of resistance to new antibiotic. β-lactamase inhibitor combination Ceftazidime-Avibactam.
Within a matter of weeks, three cases of gonorrhoea that are resistant to the recommended first line antibiotic treatment have been detected in Europe and Australia. These are the first global reports of Neisseria gonorrhoeae with high-level resistance to azithromycin and ceftriaxone resistance that also show resistance to several other vital antibiotics. At a time with limited alternatives to the current dual therapy, lack of a vaccine and insufficient surveillance capacity in some regions, these cases highlight the growing threat of drug-resistance – which could lead to untreatable gonorrhoea.