Three cases of extensively drug-resistant gonorrhea were identified in the United Kingdom and Australia earlier this year, prompting the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control to issue guidance based on its assessment of the “public health issue.”

All three infections were resistant to most treatment options, including ceftriaxone and azithromycin, which are widely recommended as first-line dual therapy by WHO and other health agencies, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).