Experts play down fears over ‘emergency’ STI

Experts have downplayed fears of a new virulent strain of gonorrhoea “being worse than Aids”, but have admitted that the sexually transmitted infection is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics.

It was reported that cases detected in Japan indicated a new strain of gonorrhoea, with the American National Coalition of STD Directors claiming it was “an emergency situation”.

However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention denied reports that any new strain of gonorrhoea was detected.

The bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae has become increasingly resistant to antibiotics. Professor Cathy Ison, head of the National Reference Laboratory for Gonorrhoea in Britain, told the BBC last month that “there is a possibility that if we don’t do something then it could become untreatable by 2015”.

Dr Derek Freedman — who founded of the Society for the Study of Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Ireland and is a founding member of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology — said the “overuse” and “inappropriate use” of antibiotics was behind the current health scare: “Gonorrhoea has become resistant to a lot of the antibiotics previously used.

“There is now only one antibiotic that is fully effective against gonorrhoea. It is given by injection.

“There is definitely [a] need to be worried about the development of antibiotic resistance: if antibiotic overuse and misuse continues, we will be left with nothing to treat these simple infections.

“We are seeing an emerging epidemic of gonorrhoea in this country, especially with men having sex with men, but there are a lot of heterosexual cases as well. Girls carry it silently.”

Dr Freedman said gonorrhoea in the throat or back passage typically remained “completely silent” and may not be detected through a urine screening test. He said blood tests should be part of all STD screening.

“There is always a need for awareness of STIs. The main risk factor is casual encounters, particularly men who have sex with men. Alcohol is usually a co-factor: it inhibits the inhibitions.”

He said overindulgence in alcohol had played a “significant role” in between 60% and 70% of cases seen in both private and public practice.

Dr Freedman said his practice in Dublin could see up to three cases of gonorrhoea a week. He is also attached to a clinic in St James’s Hospital, where five to 10 people a week present with gonorrhoea: “The most important thing is when people take a sexual risk they go and get fully and comprehensively sexually screened.”

In a report published on May 1, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre here said there had been 409 detections of gonorrhoea in the first 16 weeks of this year, and 48 in the last week for which figures were compiled.