The number of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea cases is rising across Europe, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Early detections were mainly sporadic and often travel-associated, but that picture has shifted since 2025, with rising case numbers in several countries and growing evidence of local spread.
In particular, France, Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom have reported significant increases, while several other countries continue to detect sporadic cases.
Local transmission of drug-resistant gonorrhoea in Europe is a “warning sign we should not ignore,” said Csaba Ködmön, an ECDC microbiology expert.
“While the risk to the general population is currently low, growing resistance reduces the effectiveness of the therapies we rely on today,” he added, warning that treatment options could become increasingly limited if drug-resistant strains continue to spread.
