Gonorrhea Outbreak Confirmed in a Single Washington County
Health officials confirmed gonorrhea outbreak confined to Washington state county.
WALLA WALLA, Wash. (AP) — Washington state health officials have confirmed a gonorrhea outbreak confined to a single county.
The Union-Bulletin reports that the Washington state department of health has confirmed 27 reported cases in the last three months in Walla Walla County, about 250 miles (402 kilometers) southeast of Seattle.
Health officials say in the same time span last year there were only six reported cases.
CDC:
Common STD Cases Hit New US Record ]Health officials say the disease is now more drug-resistant with one treatment option remaining out of the five recommend methods available in 2006.
Officials say the sexually transmitted disease has bacteria that could affect the reproductive tract, eyes, throat, mouth, and rectum.
Officials say if left untreated gonorrhea could lead to numerous complications including infertility, blindness and increased risk of contracting other sexually transmitted diseases.
___
Information from: Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, http://www.union-bulletin.com
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Tags: Washington