Cases of gonorrhoea and syphilis have reached record levels across Europe, according to new figures released by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and...
Cases of gonorrhoea and syphilis have reached record levels across Europe, according to new figures released by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
The agency said both sexually transmitted infections recorded their highest numbers in more than 10 years during 2024. Gonorrhoea cases rose to 106,331, representing a 303 percent increase since 2015, while syphilis cases more than doubled over the same period to 45,557.
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Health officials warned that gaps in testing, prevention programmes and public awareness were contributing to the increase in infections across Europe. The ECDC called for urgent action to improve prevention and access to sexual health services.
Bruno Ciancio, head of the agency’s Directly Transmitted and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Unit, said the infections could lead to serious health complications if left untreated.
“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,” Ciancio said.
He also warned about rising cases of congenital syphilis, where the infection is passed from a mother to a newborn child. According to the agency, congenital syphilis cases nearly doubled between 2023 and 2024, raising concerns among health authorities.
Ciancio urged people to continue practising safe sex and to seek testing where necessary. “Protecting your sexual health remains straightforward. Use condoms with new or multiple partners, and get tested if you have symptoms,” he said.
Among participating European countries, Spain recorded the highest number of confirmed gonorrhoea and syphilis cases in 2024, with 37,169 gonorrhoea infections and 11,556 syphilis cases reported.
The ECDC said men who have sex with men remained the group most affected by the rise in gonorrhoea and syphilis infections. However, health officials also noted significant increases in syphilis cases among heterosexual women of reproductive age.
Although chlamydia remained the most commonly reported bacterial sexually transmitted infection in Europe, the number of cases declined by six percent since 2015 to 213,443 infections in 2024.
The United Kingdom was not included in the ECDC research following Brexit, but British health authorities continue to release separate national figures annually.
According to the UK Health Security Agency, England recorded 71,802 gonorrhoea cases and 9,535 syphilis cases in 2024. During the same period, authorities recorded 168,889 chlamydia diagnoses.
The UK introduced a gonorrhoea vaccination programme in 2025 after the country recorded a previous high of 85,000 gonorrhoea cases in 2023.
Health experts said gonorrhoea symptoms can include pain, unusual discharge and inflammation around the genitals, although some infected people may not show symptoms. Syphilis symptoms can include sores around the mouth or genitals, skin rashes, hair loss and flu-like symptoms.
Medical authorities said both infections can be prevented through condom use and treated with antibiotics if detected early. However, untreated infections can result in serious long-term health complications.
