Antimicrobial resistant Gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea cases increasing

Gonorrhoea notifications in NSW almost doubled from 2022 to 2024, with over 14,000 notifications in 2024. This is the highest number of gonorrhoea notifications ever received in one year.

There is an increase in the prevalence of multidrug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) gonococcal infection with cases of XDR cases emerging globally especially in South-East Asia.

MDR and XDR gonorrhoea are determined by their levels of resistance to both ceftriaxone andazithromycin on culture-based susceptibility testing.

NSW recorded two XDR gonorrhoea cases in March 2025. One was acquired in Cambodia, while the other is a locally acquired case with unknown source.

Contact tracing is a high priority and the responsibility of the treating clinician to discuss with patients.

Further details here .