Gonorrhea is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Gonorrhea is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which characteristically infects the epithelium of the bladder, cervix, rectum, pharynx, or conjunctiva, and causes inflammation and purulent discharge. Spread to the skin and joints, which is not uncommon, causes skin wounds, fever, and migrating polyarthritis or pauciarticular septic arthritis. Diagnosis is made under the microscope, by culture examination or by nucleic acid amplification tests. Many oral or injectable antibiotics can be used; however, drug resistance is a growing problem.
