Neisseria gonorrhoeae continues to be a leading cause of sexually transmitted infection (STI). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that approximately 600,000 new gonococcal infections occurred in the US in 2023. More than half occur in young people aged 15–24. Commonly called "GC," the organism is pathogenic and causes various conditions, including disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI). In the United States, the most common cause of septic arthritis among sexually active adults is N. gonorrhoeae. Disseminated disease occurs in 0.5% to 3% of all untreated gonorrhea cases.
Widespread drug resistance, including fluoroquinolones, of N. gonorrhoeae to antimicrobial agents is now considered a significant challenge to controlling gonorrhea. The last effective class of antibiotics is cephalosporins, but the CDC's surveillance suggests that cefixime is becoming less effective. Currently, just one dose of ceftriaxone is recommended as first-line treatment for gonorrhea. This is to preserve cephalosporin efficacy for as long as possible.
The inaccurate identification and reporting of N. gonorrhoeae can have profound social and medicolegal consequences. Several Neisseria and other species that resemble N. gonorrhoeae may reside in the female genital tract. This leads to the potential for misidentification of these organisms as N. gonorrhoeae, unless the appropriate differential tests are performed.
