Alaska official says state likely to lead US in STD rates

KENAI, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska public health nurse says the state’s recent outbreak of chlamydia and gonorrhea is likely to place it in the top tier of national rankings for the two sexually transmitted diseases.

The Peninsula Clarion reports that Susan Jones, manager of the state HIV/STD program, said Alaska will likely place in the first- or second-place spot for both of the diseases, which continues the state’s trend of leading the nation in outbreaks.

Jones said that in 2017, preliminary numbers show that there were more than 2,000 cases of gonorrhea in Alaska, up from 1,454 confirmed case...