Scientists warn silent killer 'super gonorrhoea' is on the rise

When you think of the word 'super', you mind usually conjures something really, really good.

Take 'superglue' and 'super strength drain unblocker' or even Superman. I think everyone would agree that they can all be filed under 'very good'.

The same, however, certainly cannot be said for the term 'super gonorrhoea'. This is definitely 'very, very bad'.

But according to the experts, the young, free, and oh so single among you need to be on your guard, as the mutant STI is enjoying a resurgence.

Yep, scientists at the World Health Organisation have warned that a super strength form of the disease is spreading like wildfire around the world, with modern medicine struggling to cope.

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In a presentation at the STI & HIV 2023 World Congress, the WHO explained that certain STIs are on the rise.

The body said that it was, in part at least, yet another knock-on effect from the pandemic.

A spokesperson for the WHO said: "During the Covid-19 pandemic, many countries had reported low coverage for prevention, testing and treatment services for STIs, which has led to a resurgence of STIs globally.

"Countries with good STI surveillance, such as the United States of America and United Kingdom, are reporting increasing STIs.

"Emerging outbreaks of new infections, such as mpox, and the re-emergence of neglected STIs pose challenges for prevention and control efforts."

And gonorrhoea is one they're concerned about.

Symptoms can include a green or yellow discharge coming from the penis or vagina, pain when weeing, and for women, bleeding between periods.

In rare cases, it can cause infertility, and if it reaches the blood stream it can cause arthritis, endocarditis, and meningitis, which could potentially be fatal.

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Not everyone is the same; some people have no symptoms at all, so the best way to make sure you don't have it or anything else is to get yourself tested regularly.

The WHO's statement went on: "Several countries are increasingly reporting failures of current treatment recommendations for gonorrhoea.

"Of concern, the spread of a Neisseria gonorrhoea clone that is highly resistant to ceftriaxone is increasingly being reported in countries in Asia such as China, Japan, Singapore and Vietnam as well as in Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

"The enhanced gonorrhoea AMR surveillance (EGASP) suggests high rates of resistance in gonorrhoea to current treatment options such as ceftriaxone, cefixime and azithromycin in Cambodia, for instance."

It's not the first time we've seen a spike of this particular malady on our shores, though.

Back in 2020, doctors warned that gonorrhoea was on the rise in Blighty, which at that time enjoyed the highest rate of the disease in Europe.

It's nice to come first at something, eh?

Topics: Health, UK News, World News, Science

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers is LADbible's Editorial Lead. After graduating from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History, he went on to write for the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express. So as you can imagine, he’s spent many a night wondering just how useful that second language has been. But c'est la vie.

@SmithersDom