We report the timely detection of a strain of Neisseria gonorrhoeae which was confirmed as a diagnostic escape mutant on the Cepheid Xpert CT/NG assay in England in June 2025. The reason for assay failure was a likely recombination event with Neisseria meningitidis, which removed both assay target sites. Seven historical putative Xpert CT/NG assay diagnostic escape mutants were also identified following subsequent in silico screening of gonococcal genome collections, but currently there is no evidence of widespread circulation.

A 6-month-old infant was hospitalised with suspected infant botulism after being given peanut butter to reduce their risk of developing peanut allergy. Clostridium botulinum type A was detected in the...

Currently a rarity in high-income countries, tetanus is a diagnosis not to miss. Deaths from tetanus fell by almost 90% between 1990 and 2019, largely reflecting the success of WHO's Maternal and Neon...

Join us for an enjoyable and informative day of studying parasitology at the UK NEQAS Study Day!