Gonococcal infection

Gonococcal infection is identified in the provided catalogue as a bacterial disease concept, with the source material using the terms gonococcal infection and gonorrhoea in relation to the same surveillance topic ^[1][4][5]. The available sources do not provide a full etiologic or pathophysiologic definition beyond this concept-level characterization, and no ICD code is supplied in the payload ^[1][4][5]. In the cited literature, it is discussed alongside other sexually transmitted infections and in the context of antimicrobial resistance concerns ^[1][4][5].

The source snippets do not describe a detailed symptom pattern, complication profile, or disease course for gonococcal infection, so source-backed clinical characterization is limited ^[4][5]. What is available is that the literature distinguishes uncomplicated infection from disseminated gonococcal infection and includes review questions about treatment in men, non-pregnant women, pregnant women, and disseminated disease ^[4][5]. The evidence also notes co-infection with Chlamydia trachomatis in 10% to 40% of people with gonorrhoea in the US and UK, indicating that mixed infection is a relevant clinical context ^[4][5]. Antimicrobial resistance is reported in more than one quarter of isolates, which is clinically important because it may complicate management and response to standard regimens ^[4][5].

The provided material presents gonococcal infection as a significant sexually transmitted infection burden, with Spain’s central health authorities described as reporting very high and increasing figures for gonococcal infection ^[1]. In the UK, diagnosis rates were reported for specific young-adult age groups, including 249 per 100,000 for men aged 20 to 24 years and 140 per 100,000 for women in the same age range in 2012, and earlier 2008 rates of 152 per 100,000 for men aged 20 to 24 years and 135 per 100,000 for women aged 16 to 19 years ^[4][5]. The snippets also identify resistance to one or more antimicrobial agent in more than one quarter of isolates, which is epidemiologically relevant as a surveillance signal ^[4][5]. Beyond these data points, the source-backed geographic distribution, reservoir ecology, and outbreak context are not yet available in the provided evidence ^[1][4][5].

The source material does not explicitly state the transmission route, but it places gonococcal infection within the category of sexually transmitted infections ^[1][4][5]. On that evidence boundary, exposure is understood in surveillance terms as linked to sexual transmission, while the exact route details are not specified in the snippets ^[1][4][5]. No source-backed information is provided on persistence, infectious period, or specific exposure circumstances ^[1][4][5].

The only clearly supported age-related pattern in the supplied sources is elevated diagnosis rates among young adults, particularly men aged 20 to 24 years and women in late adolescence or early adulthood in the UK reports ^[4][5]. The snippets do not provide additional source-backed high-risk group definitions such as sexual network characteristics, pregnancy status, or specific occupational exposures, so those details are not stated here ^[4][5].

The snippets indicate that prevention is part of the broader public-health challenge for sexually transmitted infections, but they do not provide specific preventive measures for gonococcal infection ^[1]. They note organizational issues and overlapping competencies among health authorities in Spain as barriers affecting diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, implying that coordinated public-health systems are important to control ^[1]. Source-backed detail on screening, partner management, vaccination, or exposure-control measures is not yet available in the provided material ^[1][4][5].

In surveillance use, gonococcal infection should be read as a high-priority sexually transmitted infection concept with evidence of substantial burden in young adults and documented antimicrobial resistance ^[4][5]. The supplied sources also suggest that data quality and system organization can affect how completely the condition is captured, since the real situation of STI in Spain is described as poorly known and as influenced by overlapping institutional responsibilities ^[1]. Resistance in more than one quarter of isolates and the presence of Chlamydia trachomatis co-infection in a notable minority of cases make laboratory and syndromic interpretations particularly relevant to monitoring ^[4][5].

1. 1 Del Romero J et al. Sexually transmitted infections in Spain: Current status. Rev Esp Quimioter. 2023 Oct. PMID: 37335757. doi: 10.37201/req/038.2023. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37335757/
2. 2 Gonococcal infection. Microbial Pathogenesis. 1987. doi: 10.1016/0882-4010(87)90025-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0882-4010(87)90025-8
3. 3 Gonococcal Infection. Definitions. 2020. doi: 10.32388/vl278t. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32388/vl278t
4. 4 Creighton S et al. Gonorrhoea. BMJ Clin Evid. 2014 Feb 21. PMID: 24559849. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24559849/
5. 5 Creighton S et al. Gonorrhoea. BMJ Clin Evid. 2011 Mar 14. PMID: 21401969. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21401969/
6. 6 Gonococcal Infection. Journal of the American Medical Association. 1912. doi: 10.1001/jama.1912.04270090209029. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1912.04270090209029

ICD-10

ICD-11

Total cases

513K

Peak month

2024-01

Coverage

1 reporting countries · 2000-01-01 → 2026-06-01