1. and for minimising the impact of antimicrobial resistance in
Developing National Guidelines for prevention and control of gonorrhoea,
and for minimising the impact of antimicrobial resistance in
Neisseria Gonorrhoeae
Dr. Sarah Doyle,
Specialist in Public Health Medicine,
On behalf of the
Anti-microbial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae subcommittee of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre
SSSTDI, November 2016

2. “The emergence, in N. gonorrhoeae, of decreased susceptibility and resistance to the ‘last line’ cephalosporins,…is cause for concern. Gonorrhoea has the potential to become untreatable in the current reality of limited treatment options…. The loss of effective and readily available treatment options will lead to significant increases in morbidity and mortality, as the future could resemble the pre-antibiotic era when there was a risk of death from common infections….” (WHO 2012 p.4)
WHO 2014 , 1st global report on antimicrobial surveillance: 1 of 9 bacteria of international concern

3. Reports of treatment failure
Clinical treatment failure with cefixime has been reported from Asia and Europe.
In 2011, first detected case of high-level resistance to injectable ceftriaxone, which also led to clinical treatment failure, was published.
Ireland, in 2013, the first 3 cases of in-vitro cefotaxime resistance were reported. One case reduced susceptibility to ceftriaxone. All three resistant to azithromycin and ciprofloxacin.
2015 two cases of gonorrhoea with a N. gonorrhoeae strain with high-level azithromycin resistance in Ireland reported.

4. Anti-microbial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae committee
Subcommittee of Scientific Advisory Committee of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre
Convened 2014
National and international concern re emergence of cepalosporin resistant (Ceph-R) N. gonorrhoeae
Public Health, GUM, Microbiology, Health Promotion, Infection Prevention and Control

5. Term of reference
To provide national guidelines for minimising the impact of anti-microbial resistance in N. gonorrhoeae, including prevention , surveillance, clinical management, laboratory diagnosis, and public health response

6. Process WHO, two overlapping goals must be met: Main sources agreed:
Broad-based control of drug resistance (prevention of the emergence of AMR in gonorrhoea)
Prevention of gonorrhoea
Main sources agreed:
WHO, 2012: Global action plan to control the spread and impact of anti-microbial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
ECDC, 2012: Response plan to control and manage the threat of multi-drug resistant gonorrhoeae in Europe.
HPA, 2013: Gonococcal Resistance to Antimicrobials Surveillance Programme (GRASP).
CDC, 2012: Cephalosporin-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae Public Health Response Plan.

7. Process Met on six occasions Four week consultation period, May 2016
prosionals wrote their chapters: Surveillance and Epidemiology, Pion, Clinical Management and PN, Laboratory diagnosis Public Health Response
Met on six occasions
Four week consultation period, May 2016
Post-consultation draft available at

8. Surveillance and epidemiology
Statutorily notifiable
Case-based reporting since 2013 on CIDR
28.8/100,
Increasing – detection, reporting, extragenital site testing, routine STI screening, real increase

9. Surveillance and epidemiology

10. European Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (Euro-GRASP)
ECDC, 2009, to monitor N. gonorrhoeae AMR in the EU/EEA
21 countries
100 consecutive* isolates per year, now annually
Centralised/decentralised testing
Ireland: SJH laboratory, with epi information from STI clinic
*also isolates with defined phenotypic resistances

11. Numbers of N. gonorrhoeae isolates tested and proportions of isolates with resistance or decreased susceptibility to key antibiotics,

12. Euro-GASP summary findings
No reduced susceptibility to cefixime and ceftriaxone reported for 2013 and 2014;
No resistance to spectinomycin since surveillance began (2010);
Increase in azithromycin resistance reported 2014, majority of isolates at the resistance breakpoint (MIC = 1mg/L) and no treatment failures;
Increase in cases with a concurrent STI or HIV in 2014;

13. Prevention Sexual health promotion: Promotion of condoms
Combination of approaches, aligned and co-ordinated, ongoing and long-term
Promotion of condoms
Sexual health messages:
Mass media, social media, health and education professionals, frame messages positively

14. Treatment of uncomplicated anogenital and pharyngeal gonorrhoea in adults, including those with cephalosporin allergy

15. Cephalosporin treatment failure
Cases who present with:
persistent genital discharge following treatment with a recommended cephalosporin regimen OR
who are asymptomatic with a positive test-of-cure (Gram stain, culture or NAATs) following treatment with a recommended cephalosporin regimen
AND
have had sexual contact since treatment outruled
Refer urgently to an Infectious Diseases Consultant or Consultant in Genitourinary Medicine.
Notify by phone to the MOH.
Discuss appropriate specimens with Consultant Microbiologist.
Possible treatment regimens:
higher dose Ceftriaxone, e.g. 1g IM and Azithromycin 2g orally
OR Gentamicin 240mg IM and Azithromycin 2g orally.
Quinolones may also be considered, depending on sensitivity testing results.

16. Laboratory diagnosis of N. gonorrhoeae
NAATs should be the standard of care in the laboratory detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
PPV of test results should be critically appraised.
Supplementary testing with a second gene target is recommended in most clinical settings (sample types, disease prevalence).
Culture still an essential laboratory investigation as isolates required for antimicrobial susceptibility testing and molecular typing.
Consideration should be given to the development of a laboratory policy of selective culture, e.g. culturing of specimens from high-risk patients and/or culturing of specimens taken from optimal sites.
ToC is recommended for all cases of gonorrhoea, to identify cases of treatment failure.

17. Public Health response to suspected Ceph-R Neisseria gonorrhoeae
In the event of suspected or confirmed N. gonorrhoeae cephalosporin treatment failure the MOH should convene an incident control team.
Where a probable or confirmed case of Ceph-R N. gonorrhoeae is identified further laboratory evaluation (culture and susceptibility testing and molecular typing) should be performed at a gonococcal reference laboratory.
Enhanced surveillance information needs to be collected from all probable or confirmed cases of Ceph-R N. gonorrhoeae.
If the proportion of resistant strains obtained from tested samples is at a level of 5% or more, or when an unexpected increase below 5% is observed in key populations, a multi-disciplinary group should take steps to review and modify guidelines for STI treatment and management, while at the same time enhancing gonococcal surveillance.

18. Recommendations
National multi-disciplinary forum to provide expert advice on prevention, treatment and control of gonorrhoea.
National anti-microbial resistance surveillance
National reference laboratory
Sustained health promotion campaigns, using combination of approaches

19. Antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae sub-committee of the HPSC SAC
Sarah Doyle, Chair, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, HSE South East, (representing Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Faculty of Public Health Medicine, RCPI FPHMI)
Teck Boo, Consultant Microbiologist, University Hospital Galway (representing RCPI, Faculty of Pathology) (from July 2014)
Fionnuala Cooney, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, HSE East, (representing RCPI, FPHMI)
Suzanne Corcoran, Consultant Microbiologist, (representing RCPI, Faculty of Pathology) (to July 2014)
Brendan Crowley, Consultant Microbiologist, St James Hospital (representing the Irish Society of Clinical Microbiologists)
Derval Igoe, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, Health Protection Surveillance Centre
Rosena Hanniffy, Assistant Director of Midwifery/Nursing Infection Prevention and Control, Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital (representing the Infection Prevention Society)
Fiona Lyons, Consultant in Genito-Urinary Medicine, St. James Hospital (representing The Society for the Study of Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Ireland)
Marrita Mahon, Surveillance Scientist HSE South East
Lorraine McCrann, Specialist Medical Scientist, University Hospital Waterford (representing The Academy of Clinical Science and Laboratory Medicine)
Siobhán O’Higgins, HRB Research Fellow, National University of Ireland Galway and AIDS West (representing The Association of Health Promotion, Ireland)
Aoibheann O’Malley, Administrator, HPSC (to June 2014)
Louise Pomeroy, Genitourinary Medicine Physician, HSE Gay Men’s Health Project, Dublin. (From June 2014)