Gonorrhea outbreak hits Snohomish County particularly hard

Cases of gonorrhea are rising statewide and Snohomish County is reporting a 50-percent increase.

The Snohomish Health District says documented cases of the sexually transmitted disease jumped from 168 in 2012 to 249 last year. Health specialists can’t explain specific causes for the outbreak in Snohomish and other counties, too.

“Antibiotic treatment is effective and accessible,” health officer for the Snohomish Health District, Dr. Gary Goldbaum said in a statement. “However, it is far better to avoid infection in the first place,” he added.

The health district recommends routine screening for sexually active people.

Gonorrhea rates statewide have climbed since 2010. About one-third of the new cases of gonorrhea in Snohomish County were in young people ages 15-to-24.