P30 Gonorrhoea: a rising tide

Abstract

Background The prevalence of gonorrhoea in England increased by 15% between 2012 and 2013. In contrast, there was a 62% rise in gonorrhoea in our local area in the same time period. Aim To identify potential areas for management improvement that may help reduce infection rates. Methods A retrospective case note review of positive patients between 1st January and 30 th June 2013 was conducted. Positive agar-based gonococcal culture or BD ProbeTec™ GC Q x Amplified DNA Assay results were included. Results The 201 individuals reviewed had a mean age of 24 (range 16–53). 53% were male, 80% Caucasian and 89% heterosexual. There was no geographical postcode pattern seen. 100% resolution of infection at test of cure (TOC) was achieved in the 39% that attended. 10% TOC attendees became re-infected. 100% received Partner Notification (PN), of whom 45% had contacts attending for treatment and 36% declined to provide contact details. Discussion Unlike the epidemic elsewhere in the UK, our outbreak is predominantly amongst male and female heterosexuals. As the majority were in the age range 16–25, targeted screening and health promotion could be delivered using the same resources as the National Chlamydia Screening Programme locally. TOC attendance was poor and the use of automatic text reminders and TOC postal kits maybe beneficial. The quality of information provided for PN can be improved with novel methods of non-standard PN. The high re-infection rate suggests a large reservoir of undiagnosed disease in our local population which needs addressing on a larger public health basis.