Alaska Woman Dies from Rare Gonorrhea Complication
An Alaska woman has passed away from a serious and infrequent complication associated with gonorrhea, which is becoming more common in the state, health officials reported.
The individual, in her 50s, suffered from disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI), where the bacteria responsible for gonorrhea spreads to various organs. A recent bulletin from the Department of Health’s epidemiology section noted that she arrived at an Anchorage hospital in the spring with septic shock and heart failure, and soon after, DGI was confirmed before her death.
She was one of eight individuals diagnosed with DGI in Alaska from January to May this year. These patients, aged between 32 and 59, were all treated in Anchorage; five of them were women. The bulletin indicated that the deceased woman had received treatment twice for opioid abuse in the six months leading up to her death, but there were no records of her being tested for gonorrhea within the previous year.
While gonorrhea is treatable with antibiotics, some infected individuals may not show symptoms and miss the opportunity for testing and treatment. Dr. Liz Ohlsen, a physician with the Alaska Department of Health and author of the bulletin, explained that this could lead to untreated gonorrhea potentially developing into serious DGI.
State health officials are currently monitoring DGI cases and expressing concern that a specific strain may be circulating in Alaska which tends to produce fewer symptoms, thereby making detection harder. Ohlsen noted, “We think the rising number of DGI cases may be due to more individuals with gonorrhea not receiving timely testing and treatment. Asymptomatic infections can significantly increase the risk of ongoing untreated infections.”
In response, the department is promoting public education, encouraging Alaskans with multiple sexual partners or those whose partners have multiple partners to get tested for gonorrhea every three to six months.
Alarmingly, Alaska has consistently reported some of the highest rates of gonorrhea and other sexually transmitted infections in the U.S. The state saw a significant spike in DGI last year, with 27 cases reported in 2024, compared to just three in 2022 and eight in 2023. This accounted for 1.3% of total gonorrhea cases, a notable increase from previous years.
In cases of DGI, infections that typically remain in mucus membranes of the genital, rectal, or oral areas can spread throughout the body. The potential complications can include joint or tendon issues, heart infections, and meningitis, which is a serious inflammation affecting the brain and spinal cord.
“Although fatalities from disseminated gonococcal infection are scarce, it can still lead to severe complications, including heart issues that may result in death. A rise in DGI cases heightens the risk of serious health consequences or fatalities,” Ohlsen added.
However, gathering accurate statistics on DGI and related deaths proves to be challenging. In Alaska, while gonorrhea cases must be reported, cases of DGI are not tracked in the same way. There are a few studies providing insights into occurrences of DGI.
One research study from California indicated that 0.24% of reported gonorrhea cases from mid-2020 to mid-2021 resulted in DGI. Another study involving several western U.S. states found that of 274 confirmed and potential DGI cases reported to the CDC between 2020 and 2022, 2.2% of those patients unfortunately died.
