A woman in her 50s in Alaska has died from disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI), a rare and severe complication of untreated gonorrhea, according to state health officials. She was admitted to an Anchorage emergency department with respiratory distress and later diagnosed with septic shock and heart failure caused by the infection.
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DGI results when the gonorrhea bacteria spread from mucosal infections into the bloodstream, potentially causing meningitis, endocarditis, and other serious problems. The woman tested positive for Neisseria gonorrhoeae at several sites.
She had sought medical care twice in the months before her death for opioid use disorder but had no record of gonorrhea testing in the prior year. The untreated infection spread throughout her body, leading to her death.
Eight DGI cases were reported in Alaska between January and May 2025, mainly in Anchorage, with five cases involving women. Most had no prior STI history. The state’s epidemiological investigation found no connections between cases but identified risk factors like substance use and multiple sexual partners.
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Health officials advise those with new or multiple partners to be alert to symptoms and get tested quickly. Dr. Liz Ohlsen noted the risk affects a broad group of sexually active people.
