Investigating the cause of increased tetracycline-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae in England, 2016–20

The study investigates the correlation between bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) tests, antimicrobial treatment, and increased TetR in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It found a substantial increase in TetR, particularly in isolates from gay, bisexual, and other MSM (GBMSM) populations. Strong positive correlations were observed exclusively in GBMSM between N. gonorrhoeae TetR and both bacterial STI tests and antimicrobial treatment. Doxycycline prescribing increased dramatically during the study period in SHS, with higher prevalence of TetR in Staphylococcus aureus.