| Causative organism | Neisseria gonorrhoeae |
| Incubation period | 2-10 days for penile urethral infection; occasionally days to weeks. Most cervical, anal and throat infections are asymptomatic |
| How far to trace back | 2 months |
| Usual testing method | Nucleic acid amplification testing and/or culture. Where there is an obvious urethral discharge a NAAT as well as a culture (e.g. using a Charcoal media swab) is recommended to determine antibiotic sensitivities and resistance |
| Common symptoms |
Penile urethral purulent discharge and dysuria. Mucopurulent cervicitis / vaginal discharge, pelvic symptoms if PID (see PID) Scrotal symptoms if epididymo-orchitis (see Epididymo -orchitis) Proctitis — anorectal pain/bleeding/purulent discharge Gonococcal conjunctivitis — usually presents with an obvious purulent discharge and may be unilateral or bilateral. |
| Likelihood of transmission per act of condomless sex | 20% -50% |
| Likelihood of long-term sexual partner being infected | > 50 % |
| Protective effect of condoms | High |
| Transmission by oral sex | Significant |
| Duration of potential infectivity | Up to 12 months |
| Important sequelae |
PID Epididymo-orchitis; Disseminated gonococcal infection; Neonatal ophthalmia; Enhanced HIV transmission |
| Direct benefit of detection and treatment of contacts | Cure |
| Usual management of contacts |
Counselling, clinical examination and testing of appropriate sites (urethra, cervix, pharynx, anus) People presenting as asymptomatic contacts of gonorrhoea should be tested and advised to await results. Consider presumptive treatment if there has been sexual contact within the past 2 weeks or when the person’s individual circumstances mean later treatment may not occur. As most people will test negative, routine presumptive treatment often leads to unnecessary antibiotic use.
|
| Contact tracing priority | High |
| Notification | Notifiable by doctors in all Australian states and territories and New Zealand |
Page last updated October 2022