UK patients with N. gonorrhoeae (GC) now have the option of receiving the cheap and easily-administered oral antibiotic ciprofloxacin thanks to updated treatment guidelines and the availability of a molecular diagnostic and antimicrobial susceptibility test (AST). The new test can simultaneously diagnose gonorrhoea and provide information on whether or not a patient will respond to ciprofloxacin.
Global management strategies for antimicrobial resistance (AMR), such as those developed by the World Health Organization, highlight gonorrhoea as a priority infection to manage, with more effective use of diagnostic tools listed as a key focus for future development.
Called ResistancePlus GC, availability of the new test is timely as the British Association of Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) has launched its 2019 gonorrhoea management guidelines to include the use of ciprofloxacin, provided antimicrobial susceptibility results are available prior to treatment.