Cefixime-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae in the UK: a time to reflect on practice and recommendations

Abstract

A 40-year-old man who has sex with men (MSM) with urethral gonorrhoea failed to respond to treatment with 400 mg cefixime orally. Laboratory isolation of the post-treatment strain showed a minimum inhibitory concentration of ≥0.25 mg/L, which is a level of tolerance to cefixime that has not been previously documented in the UK. This case illustrates the importance of assessing all patients after treatment for gonorrhoea so that treatment failure and antibiotic resistance can be identified. It is vital that gonorrhoea culture continues to be attempted from all infected individuals to enable accurate diagnosis and antibiotic sensitivities. We also recommend that laboratories test for cefixime sensitivity routinely, given that it is one of the most commonly prescribed treatments for gonorrhoea.