Herpes cases hit an all-time high at Coachella this year, and it was the 'perfect situation' for an outbreak

1 out of every 6 people in the United States between the ages of 14 and 49 has genital herpes, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A person can contract herpes if they have genital, anal, or oral contact with someone who has the sexually transmitted infection (STI) or through non-sexual contact with infected saliva.
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In mid-April, Coachella Valley was abuzz with more than just music acts. It may also have been a hotbed of sexually transmitted infections.

HerpAlert , an app that diagnoses and treats herpes infections, treated a record-high number of oral and genital herpes cases per day in the area surrounding the famed festival 250 cases, to be exact. That was just in the first two days of the festival, which runs for two weekends in Coachella Valley, California.

"We typically see 12 or so cases a day in the Southern California area," HerpAlert spokesperson Alexandra Harbushka told INSIDER.

Between April 12 and April 25, 1,105 total herpes cases were reported in the cities of Indio, Palm Desert, and Coachella Valley as well as in the surrounding counties of Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego, according to a report obtained by TMZ.

Harbushka said Coachella, or any festival for that matter, offers the "perfect situation" for herpes to be transmitted and create an outbreak since the sexually transmitted infection (STI) flares up when people feel tired, stressed out, or have long periods of sun exposure all things Coachella-goers likely experienced during the event.

Herpes can be transmitted both genitally and orally, so in a place where there are high instances of sharing drinks, cigarettes, and lipsticks and casual sex, the STI has plenty of chances to spread. Herpes can also be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact and saliva.

You can't get herpes from toilet seats, bedding, or swimming pools.

Herpes is common is the United States

People with herpes don't always realize they're infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but genital herpes is pretty common. In the United States, 1 out of every 6 people in the between the ages of 14 and 49 has genital herpes.

Oral herpes is characterized by cold sores or blisters around the mouth, but most people with an infection won't show any symptoms.

To prevent contracting herpes, the CDC recommends having sex only with a partner who doesn't have the infection. They also suggest using a condom properly every time you have sex, though condoms don't offer complete protection since sores can present on other areas besides the genitals that condoms cover. The virus can be active on areas of the body that don't show visible sores, according to the CDC.

People with herpes who have uninfected sexual partners can take antiviral medications daily to reduce their chances of transmitting it.

Harbushka said the best way to prevent the spread of herpes at big events like Coachella is through candid conversation. "When you talk about herpes, it lets both parties know what's going and you can talk about what safe sex means to the both of you," she said.