Gonorrhea Essay

1280 Words3 Pages

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately five million people will become ill by one or more of these four sexually transmitted infections (STI) each year; chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and trichomoniasis.1 Out of these four, gonorrhea has become increasingly drug resistant which causes a major threat to attempts to decrease STI’s. 1 This disease is also known to have a high prevalence and low mortality within our society.1 Individuals living with gonorrhea will also have a high chance of being infected with chlamydia and HIV. (1,2)

The sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a gram-negative dipoloccus, and in this particular bacteria, this dipoloccus is called gonococcus.2 This bacteria is part of the Neisseria genus in the Neisseriaceae family.3 It is non-spore forming, non-motile, encapsulated, intracellular and oxidase positive.3 This bacterium also has a beta-lactamase ring because of the genetic mutation of by the plasmids.3 N. gonorrhoeae is an aerobic organism that requires additional carbon dioxide as well as an enriched media such as chocolate agar for it to culture.3 This bacteria’s ideal growth happens between 35-37o C and between the pH of 7.2-7.6.5

N. gonorrhoeae is most commonly contracted through direct contract with exudates from the mucous membrane of an infected person. This infection is most commonly spread through sexual transmission.4 It can also be transferred from mother to neonate during birth, in the process called vertical transmission, where the baby will be in direct contract with the infected cervix.4 This infection is known as neonatal conjunctivitis or ophthalmia neonatroum.(3,4) Autoinoculation is another method to infe...

... middle of paper ...

... their neonatal conjunctivitis, where 1% solution of silver nitrate and 1% of tetracycline ointment or 0.5% of erythromycin ophthalmic ointment is instilled into each eyes every hours after birth to prevent the spread of infection.3 Currently there are no immunizations for gonorrhea, though the WHO quotes that researchers are in the early stages of developing a vaccine.1 To prevent the spread of N. gonorrhoeae, the World Health Organization, Public Health Agency of Canada, and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are working on many campaigns to bring awareness and educate the population on this infectious disease.1 The purpose of these campaigns’ are to promote safe sex, abstinence, and encourage more people to get tested for sexually transmitted infections which can help with early treatment and stop them from unknowingly spreading the disease. (1,2,3)

More about Gonorrhea Essay

Open Document