Chlamydia trachomatis—the causative agent of Chlamydia infection—and
Neisseria gonorrhoeae—the causative agent of gonorrhea—cause a significant burden of disease globally. There were over 1.4 million cases reported in 2014 and an estimated 2.8 million new cases annually, including 350,000 cases of gonorrhea. Of particular concern, gonorrhea has progressively developed resistance to the antibiotic drugs prescribed to treat it, severely limiting available treatment options. Further resistance will significantly complicate the ability of providers to treat gonorrhea successfully. For this reason it is critical to maintain the capability to monitor and detect emerging drug resistance in
Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
Recommendations for Laboratory-Based Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Following the 2009 Expert Consultation the CDC released recommendations for laboratory-based detection of
C. trachomatis and
N. gonorrhoeae infections in 2014. The new recommendations provide information regarding optimal specimen types, the use of tests to detect rectal and oropharyngeal infections, and circumstances when supplemental testing is indicated. The recommendations are intended for use by laboratory directors and staff, clinicians and disease control programs.
In order to evaluate uptake of the CDC recommendations APHL surveyed clinical laboratories in the United States on 2013 and 2015 testing practices. The summary data report and filterable data dashboards from the 2013 Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Clinical Laboratory Practices Survey are available. The 2013/2015 comparative data will be published here in the Fall of 2018.
Transportation of Specimens for Culture of
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Currently, the only laboratory methods available to detect antimicrobial resistance in
Neisseria gonorrhoeae require culture. This
publication outlines the pros and cons of various culture transport systems to ensure good recovery rates of gonorrhea culture.
Etest® for
Neisseria gonorrhea Training Module
Run Time: 15 minutes
Provides an overview of proper set up and interpretation of the
Etest® method of antimicrobial susceptibility testing for
Neisseria gonorrhoeae.