Final answer:
Gonorrhea, an STI caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae, is one of the most common reportable communicable diseases in the United States. It is especially prevalent among young people aged 15 to 24. Both gonorrhea and chlamydia, which is the most common bacterial STI in the U.S., can be cured with antibiotics.
Step-by-step explanation:
One of the most common reportable communicable diseases in the United States is gonorrhea, an STI caused by a gram-negative diplococcus. Gonorrhea is an STI caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. An estimated 820,000 new cases of gonorrhea occur in the United States each year, making it a significant public health concern. The disease is particularly prevalent among young people aged 15 to 24 years. Although chlamydia is the most common bacterial STI in the United States, gonorrhea follows closely behind and shows a similar demographic pattern with regard to age and gender, affecting young adults and adolescents with a higher incidence among females than males.
Both gonorrhea and chlamydia can be cured with antibiotics, though gonorrhea has shown increasing resistance to several types of them. Untreated gonorrhea can lead to serious health problems such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in females and inflammation of the reproductive organs in males. Therefore, early detection and treatment are crucial.
Being among the notifiable diseases, gonorrhea's diagnoses must be reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), unlike other STIs such as genital herpes and genital warts, which do not have mandatory reporting thus likely underestimating their prevalence.