Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including gonorrhoea and syphilis have hit record levels in Europe, according to new data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

Gonorrhoea cases reached 106,331 in 2024, a 303% increase since 2015, while syphilis more than doubled to 45,557 cases over the same period.

The ECDC attributed the surge to "widening gaps in testing and prevention" and called for urgent action to address the rise.

"These infections can cause severe complications, such as chronic pain and infertility, and in the case of syphilis, problems with the heart or nervous system," said Bruno Ciancio, head of the ECDC's Directly Transmitted and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases unit.

Congenital syphilis cases, where infections pass to newborns, nearly doubled from 2023 to 2024. Ciancio stressed the importance of condom use and testing.

Spain reported the highest number of confirmed cases: 37,169 for gonorrhoea and 11,556 for syphilis. Men who have sex with men remain the most affected group.

The UK, not part of the study due to Brexit, reported 71,802 gonorrhoea cases and 9,535 syphilis cases in England in 2024, according to its own data.

Source: www.bbc.com