gonorrhea

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gonorrhea

pathology

Also known as: clap, gleet, morning drop, running rage

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 5, 2024 • Article History

gonorrhea

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Related Topics:: sexually transmitted disease; notifiable disease; bacterial disease

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gonorrhea, sexually transmitted disease characterized principally by inflammation of the mucous membranes of the genital tract and urethra. It is caused by the gonococcus, Neisseria gonorrhoeae—a bacterium with a predilection for the type of mucous membranes found in the genitourinary tract and adjacent areas. All gonococcal infections except eye infections in newborn infants (ophthalmia neonatorum), some instances of vulvovaginitis of young girls living in institutions, and occasional accidental eye infections in adults are transmitted by direct sexual contact. Gonorrhea is very common, having been known for centuries by the slang term “the clap.” It is worldwide in distribution, though the ...(100 of 815 words)

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