Rise in rare, severe gonorrhea complications concerns California health officials

After months of reports on COVID-19, the California Department of Public Health has issued a warning about a different concerning disease: gonorrhea.

CDHP has received multiple reports of a severe form of gonorrhea called disseminated gonococcal infections (DGI), which is a rare and severe complication of untreated gonorrhea.

The complications are preventable through treatment of gonorrhea but Dr. Erica Pan, the acting State Public Health Officer, is concerned that many cases of the sexually transmitted disease have gone undiagnosed and untreated due to people not getting care or testing during the coronavirus pandemic.

“STD risk has not gone away. There are a few groups we especially want to remind to seek STD screening. If you are a sexually active female 25 years of age or younger, if you are pregnant, if you are a man who has sex with men, or if you are living with HIV, please contact your healthcare provider to get recommended testing for STDs,” Pan said.

Disseminated gonorrhea infections occur when a sexually transmitted pathogen, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, spreads beyond the site of infection and into the bloodstream to distant sites in the body. The infection can lead to joint pain and swelling from infected joints, as most of the cases in California have presented. Other symptoms include small, painless red based skin lesions that have clear fluid or pus in them, infection in the blood or, on rare occasions, infections of the heart valves or fluid around the brain.

CDPH is advising anyone showing symptoms to immediately reach out to their health care provider.

The state department is working with county health departments and local health care providers to understand the infections and to ensure people with STDs are tested and treated. Officials are encouraging emergency department clinicians to routinely test their patients for HIV, sexually transmitted diseases and Hepatitis C. People who are at-risk are encouraged to use newly available at-home testing.