淋病是全球范围内位居第二的最常见的细菌性性传播感染疾病。[3]World Health Organization. WHO guidelines for the treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. 2016 [internet publication].http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/rtis/gonorrhoea-treatment-guidelines/en/ 世界卫生组织 (WHO) 估计,2012 年全世界 15 至 49 岁的人群中有 7800 万新发淋病病例,全球女性发病率为 19/1000,男性发病率为 24/1000。[3]World Health Organization. WHO guidelines for the treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. 2016 [internet publication].http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/rtis/gonorrhoea-treatment-guidelines/en/ 西太平洋和非洲地区的淋病患病率最高。[3]World Health Organization. WHO guidelines for the treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. 2016 [internet publication].http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/rtis/gonorrhoea-treatment-guidelines/en/
淋病是美国位居第二,最常被报道的传染病。[4]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2016 sexually transmitted diseases surveillance. January 2018 [internet publication].https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats16/default.htm 2016 年,美国的淋病发病率为 145.8 例/100,000 人。2009 年美国淋病发病率最低(98.1 例/100,000 人);从那时起,淋病的发病率一直上升,除了在 2013 年时该发病率略有下降。美国南部的发病率持续居于该国首位。某些特定群体的发病率仍然最高,例如男男性行为人群和黑人群体。男性中的发病率也持续高于女性。在女性中,15-24 岁年龄组的发病率最高。在男性中,20-29 岁年龄组的发病率最高。
英国也出现了淋病发病率上升的情况。[5]Public Health England. Infection report: sexually transmitted infections and chlamydia screening in England, 2015. July 2016 [internet publication].https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/559993/hpr2216_stis_CRRCTD4.pdf 英国国王学院医院(伦敦)一项针对新就诊的淋病或衣原体感染患者的横断面研究显示,24.2% (124/512) 的异性恋男性淋病患者和 38.5% (136/335) 的女性淋病患者也存在衣原体感染。[6]Creighton S, Tenant-Flowers M, Taylor CB, et al. Co-infection with gonorrhoea and chlamydia: how much is there and what does it mean? Int J STD AIDS. 2003 Feb;14(2):109-13.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12662389?tool=bestpractice.com
据淋球菌分离株监测计划 (Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project, GISP) 报告,分离株对青霉素、四环素类药物和喹诺酮等抗微生物药物具有较高的耐药率,且有人担心分离株对广谱头孢菌素和大环内酯类药物的敏感性可能会降低。[7]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project (GISP). July 2016 [internet publication].http://www.cdc.gov/std/gisp/ 也发现少数分离株对头孢菌素类和阿奇霉素的敏感性降低,这促使提高对抗菌药物耐药性的警惕,并更新治疗指南。