Update 6 January 2026 | tidrug-resistant gonorrhea found in the Netherlands

For the first time in the Netherlands a patient has been found with gonorrhea that cannot be effectively treated with the antibiotic ceftriaxone. Ceftriaxone is the first-choice treatment for gonorrhea. Antibiotics are medicines that kill bacteria. Sometimes, bacteria become resistant to antibiotics. This is called antibiotic resistance.

The patient had sex in Asia. After returning to the Netherlands, the patient developed symptoms and went to the Center for Sexual Health. There, the patient was tested. Research showed that the bacteria were no longer effectively sensitive to several types of antibiotics, including ceftriaxone. The patient was still able to be treated.

The patient did not have sex in the Netherlands after the trip, which means that this resistant form of gonorrhea could not spread in the Netherlands.

This resistant gonorrhea occurs more often in Asia and the region around the Pacific Ocean. Therefore, travelers coming from those areas who have gonorrhea should be examined extra carefully.