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Updated: Jan 29, 2026
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Lipidico Injection Protocol for Serial Crystallography Measurements at the Australian Synchrotron
Published on: September 23, 2020
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Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Program, 1 April to 30 June 2025
Monica Lahra1, Siobhan Hurley2, Sebastiaan Van Hal3
1The World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for STI and AMR and Neisseria Reference Laboratory, NSW Health Pathology, Microbiology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia; School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia. monica.lahra@health.nsw.gov.au.
Communicable Diseases Intelligence (2018)
|January 27, 2026
Summary
Antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae is changing treatment recommendations in Australia. Penicillin-resistant strains in the Northern Territory now align with national guidelines for gonorrhoea treatment.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Public Health
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- The National Neisseria Network (NNN) has monitored antimicrobial susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae since 1981.
- The Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Programme (AGSP) reports on key antibiotics including ceftriaxone, azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, penicillin, gentamicin, and tetracycline.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report on the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates in Australia.
- To inform treatment recommendations for gonorrhoea based on evolving resistance patterns.
Main Methods:
- Data collection and reporting through the Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Programme (AGSP).
- Monitoring of antimicrobial susceptibility profiles for Neisseria gonorrhoeae across Australian states and territories.
- Programme-specific quality assurance processes are in place.
Main Results:
- Historically, geographic variations in Neisseria gonorrhoeae susceptibility existed, with some remote regions showing low resistance.
- Since January 2023, increased penicillin-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae in the Northern Territory has led to revised treatment recommendations.
- Current recommended treatment for gonorrhoea in Australia is ceftriaxone combined with azithromycin.
Conclusions:
- Antimicrobial resistance patterns in Neisseria gonorrhoeae necessitate ongoing surveillance and adaptation of treatment guidelines.
- Changes in Neisseria gonorrhoeae resistance, particularly penicillin resistance in the Northern Territory, have standardized gonorrhoea treatment recommendations nationally.
- The AGSP plays a crucial role in monitoring and guiding gonorrhoea treatment strategies in Australia.
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