Gonococcal conjunctivitis is a highly contagious eye infection caused by Neisseria
gonorrhoeae. It is a notifiable disease. It can arise in several different situations.
Babies of women with genital gonorrhoea can be infected at birth (neonatal gonococcal ophthalmia). Small numbers of sporadic cases in children or adults occur every year in the Northern Territory (NT) as a result of auto-inoculation in a person with genital gonorrhoea. More rarely, epidemics can occur within a remote community or over several communities and may involve dozens or even hundreds of cases. This has occurred in central Australia 4 times in the past 25 years. A smaller epidemic has been observed in the Top End as well.