Prevalence and Incidence of Gonorrhea

About prevalence and incidence statistics: The term 'prevalence' of Gonorrhea usually refers to the estimated population of people who are managing Gonorrhea at any given time. The term 'incidence' of Gonorrhea refers to the annual diagnosis rate, or the number of new cases of Gonorrhea diagnosed each year. Hence, these two statistics types can differ: a short-lived disease like flu can have high annual incidence but low prevalence, but a life-long disease like diabetes has a low annual incidence but high prevalence. For more information see about prevalence and incidence statistics.

Incidence (annual) of Gonorrhea: 800,000 cases (CDC estimate/NIAID)
Incidence Rate: approx 1 in 339 or 0.29% or 800,000 people in USA [about data]
Undiagnosed prevalence of Gonorrhea: estimated 400,000 cases (CDC/NIAID based on 800,000 estimates with about 400,000 reported)
Undiagnosed prevalence rate: approx 1 in 679 or 0.15% or 400,000 people in USA [about data]
Prevalance of Gonorrhea: Each year approximately 650,000 people in the United States are infected with gonorrhea. In 1999, the rate of reported gonorrhea infections was 132.2 per 100,000 persons.¹ ... An estimated 650,000 cases of gonorrhea, caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, occur annually in the United States.² ... In 1997, 324,901 cases of gonorrhea in the United States were reported to the CDC, a case rate of 122/100,000.²
Worldwide prevalence of Gonorrhea:Worldwide, an estimated 62 million new cases of gonorrhea occurred in 1997.²

Prevelance of Gonorrhea discussion: In 1997, health care workers reported 324,901 cases of gonorrhea in the United States to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Institute of Medicine, however, estimates that 800,000 cases of gonorrhea occur annually in the United States. Health economists estimate that the annual cost of gonorrhea and its complications is close to $1.1 billion.³

Incidence statistics about Gonorrhea: The following statistics relate to the incidence of Gonorrhea:

650,000 annual cases (CDC 2001)
Approximately 400,000 CDC reported cases
324,901 cases reported (CDC/1997)355,642 cases (1998)
360,076 annual cases notified in USA 1999 (MMWR 1999)
20.16 per 100,000 in Canada 2000⁴
Estimated 650,000 new cases each year in the USA 2002 (Trends in STD’s in the US, CDC, 2002)
358,995 new cases of gonorrhoea occurred annually in the US 2000 (Health, United States: 2002, NCHS, CDC)
15,903 new cases of gonorrhea in England and Wales 2001 (PHLS, London, 2002)
97% increase in gonorrhea incidence in England and Wales 1996-2001 (PHLS, London, 2002)
650,000 new cases annually in America (Tracking The Hidden Epidemics, CDC, 2002)
358,995 reported cases in the US 2000 (The National Women’s Health Information Center, CDC)
Estimated 4 million cases each year in the US (The National Women’s Health Information Center, CDC)
31.8 new cases of gonococcal infection per 100,000 population was notified in Australia 2002 (Yohannes K, Roche P, Blumer C et al. 2004, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
6,247 new cases of gonococcal infection was notified in Australia 2002 (Yohannes K, Roche P, Blumer C et al. 2004, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from Gonorrhea: DSTD
2. excerpt from Sexually Transmitted Diseases Statistics, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID
3. excerpt from Gonorrhea, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID
4. Notifiable Diseases Online, PPHB, Canada, 2000

Last revision: May 27, 2003

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