Neisseria gonorrhoeae antimicrobial susceptibility trends in Bangkok, Thailand, 2015-21: Enhanced Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (EGASP).

Objectives: Rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a global public health concern. Many ceftriaxone-resistant cases have been linked to Asia. In the WHO/CDC global Enhanced Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (EGASP), we conducted AMR surveillance at two clinical sites in Bangkok, Thailand, 2015-21. Methods: Urethral discharge samples, from males with urethral discharge and/or dysuria, were Gram-stained and cultured. ETEST was performed to determine AMR. EGASP MIC alert values, CLSI and EUCAST breakpoints were used. Results: In 2015-21, gonococcal isolates were cultured from 1928 cases; most (64.1%) were males reporting having sex with females. The sensitivity and specificity of Gram-stained microscopy compared with culture for detection of gonococci were 97.5% and 96.6%, respectively. From 2015 to 2021, the azithromycin MIC90 increased from 0.125 to 1 mg/L, and the MIC90 of ceftriaxone and cefixime increased from 0.008 and ≤0.016 mg/L to 0.032 and 0.064 mg/L, respectively. Eight EGASP MIC alert values (in seven isolates) were identified. Five alert values were for cefixime (all resistant according to EUCAST breakpoints) and three for azithromycin (all resistant according to EUCAST breakpoints). The average annual resistance to ciprofloxacin during 2015-21 was 92%. Conclusions: A continuous high susceptibility to ceftriaxone, Thailand's first-line gonorrhoea treatment, was found. However, the increasing MICs of ceftriaxone, cefixime and azithromycin are a substantial threat, especially considering these are the last remaining options for the treatment of gonorrhoea. To monitor AMR, continuous and quality-assured gonococcal AMR surveillance such as the Thai WHO/CDC EGASP, ideally including WGS, is imperative globally.

Trichophyton erinacei Onychomycosis: The First to Evidence a Proximal Subungual Onychomycosis Pattern.

Trichophyton erinacei is an emerging cause of dermatophyte infections, which are frequently isolated from hedgehogs. Nail infections from T. erinacei are rarely reported. We describe the case of a 23-year-old Thai female who had a history of systemic lupus erythematosus with lupus nephritis type III and who developed widespread skin and nail infections caused by T. erinacei that were most likely transmitted from a hedgehog. Although the patient did not demonstrate a clinical improvement or mycological cure following systemic itraconazole and fluconazole treatment, she achieved clinical and mycological cures after terbinafine therapy. A drug susceptibility test should be performed in patients with T. erinacei infections to facilitate decision-making about antifungal therapy. Here, we are the first to report a case of proximal subungual onychomycosis from a T. erinacei infection.