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BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — State health officials say the number of gonorrhea cases reported in Montana in 2015 nearly doubled from the previous year.
The Billings Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/1SPoLuL ) the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services recorded 833 cases last year, up from around 433 in 2014. The number of gonorrhea cases has followed an upward trend, with 2015 marking the third consecutive year that cases have doubled or almost doubled from the previous year.
State officials haven't identified exactly what's caused the spread of the sexually transmitted disease. But they say improved testing and communication has helped county health agencies identify and treat more cases than before.
Officials say Montana's 2015 average of 80 cases per 100,000 people still fell below that of the national average of more than 100 per 100,000.
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Information from: The Billings Gazette, http://www.billingsgazette.com
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