Neisseria gonorrhoeae: Combating a Multidrug-Resistant Organism

Microbiologics have an interesting white paper on Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Here is an extract:

Gonorrhea is a globally prevalent infection caused by N. gonorrhoeae, a Gram-negative bacterium. According to CDC, approximately 820,000 new gonorrheal infections occur in the U.S. annually. However, recent statistics show fewer than half of the new infections are usually reported to the organization likely because many cases of gonorrhea are symptom-free. In 2014, 350,000 gonorrhea cases were reported to CDC. Between 2010 and 2014, the rate of gonorrhea infections in men was particularly alarming with an increase of 27.9%. During the same time, the rate of infection in women decreased 4.1%.

Although most women with gonorrhea do not have any symptoms, the STD can be especially harmful to women if the infection spreads to the uterus and fallopian tubes increasing the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and infertility. If a pregnant woman has gonorrhea she can give the infection to the baby during childbirth.

The paper can be accessed here.

Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle