Question

Neisseria gonnorrhoeae

1.type and description of organism

2. diseases caused in humans

3. modes of transmission

3. describe 2 specific virulence factors

4. how is gonorrhea disgnosed and treated? (address antibiotic resistance in your answer)

Answer 1

Answer 1: Type and description of the organism:

1. It is a gram-negative bacteria.
2. They are diplococci and their shape resemble the coffee bean.
3. They are obligate aerobic bacteria and do not form spores.
4. Pili and lipooligosaccharide (endotoxin) are present on the surface of the bacterium.

Answer 2: Diseases caused in humans

Gonorrhea:

symptoms:

• Pain at the time of urination.
• Discharge in the genital area in male and female
• Pain in the testis in male, pain in lower stomach in female
• sometimes the infection is asymptomatic

Septic arthritis:

Symptoms:

• Swelling, pain, and warmth in the joint
• Difficulty in the movement at the affected joint

Gonococcal opthalmia neonatorum:

Symptoms:

• Redness in eyes
• discharge from the eyes
• swollen eyelids

Answer 3: The diseases caused by Neisseria gonnorrhoeae are transmitted sexually during unprotected sex or may transmit from mother to baby during delivery.

Answer 4: Two specific virulence factors

• ​​​​​​​The capsule that covers the bacteria protects it from phagocytosis.
• It secretes IgA protease that destroys the  IgA antibodies produced in the human body.

Answer 5: How is gonorrhea diagnosed and treated?

Diagnosis:

• Nucleic acid amplification test in which the sample is tested for the presence or absence of the Neisseria gonnorrhoeae DNA. This method is highly accurate.
• The first urine sample can also be checked for the presence of bacteria.
• Culture test: For this sample is taken from the cervix, urethra in the swab.

Treatment: Antibiotics like ceftriaxone and azithromycin are used for the treatment.

At first Neisseria gonnorrhoeae has developed resistance against the antibiotic penicillin. In Japan, it is observed that this bacteria is also resistant to the antibiotic ceftriaxone. Due to the emerging antibiotic resistance it may become very difficult to treat this infection.