Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is also known as the gonococcus. Infections cause gonorrhoea (sometimes called “the clap”), which is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide.

Mechanism of transmission: unprotected sexual contact, or from infected mother to child during childbirth

Number of cases: 82.4 million cases are estimated to have occurred globally in 2020, but this could be upwards of 130 million as many cases are unreported¹

Gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea is a sexually transmitted disease caused by infection with the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The gonococcus infects the reproductive and urogenital tracts (including the cervix, uterus, and fallopian tubes in women, and the urethra in women and men). It can also infect the mouth, throat, eyes, and rectum although these infections are less common. Symptoms of gonorrhoea typically include a thick green or yellow discharge from the vagina or penis and pain while peeing or abdominal pain. However, many infections, particularly in women, are asymptomatic or have very mild non-specific symptoms. If gonorrhoea is left untreated it can cause severe and permanent side effects such as pelvic inflammatory disease or infertility.

There are some populations who are at higher risk of gonorrhoea infections, including: young people between 15 – 25 years old, men who have sex with men, transgender and gender diverse people, sex workers, and people in prisons and other closed settings. Gonorrhoea case numbers are highest in low- and middle-income countries, especially in the Western Pacific, South-East Asia, and African Regions.

Antimicrobial resistance in the gonococcus

Gonorrhoea is curable by treating it with antibiotics (also known as antimicrobials). However, antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae has been observed against a wide variety of antibiotics and is increasing across the globe. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) arises when a disease-causing species of bacteria evolves ways to survive exposure to antimicrobial medicines – for example, this could be by changing the shape of a protein so the antimicrobial can no longer recognise it, or by developing ways of destroying the antimicrobial before it can harm the bacterial cell.

Successful treatment of gonorrhoea is becoming more difficult because of increasing AMR². The World Health Organisation (WHO) considers Neisseria gonorroheae to be a “priority pathogen”, for which research into AMR, development of new antibiotics, and development of vaccines is urgently needed.

Genomics and Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Gonorrhoea is a serious public health concern that causes significant morbidity (suffering due to a disease) worldwide, and this concern is increasing due to the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Research into the genes that encode mechanisms of resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae helps to increase our understanding of how resistance evolves and spreads globally. This knowledge can then be used to help tackle this rising threat.

If you would like to know more about the gonococcus and gonorrhoea, these websites are good places to go for more information: