- Drug-resistant shigella strains made up 5% of infections in 2022, up from 0% in 2015, the CDC said.
- Shigella infections can cause bloody diarrhea, stomach cramps, and fever.
Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant shigella bacteria are on the rise in the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned.
Most people who get shigellosis, the condition caused by shigella, the will not need antibiotics to recover but they can be given to shorten the duration of the illness by about two days, and can stop it from spreading.
Antibiotics are also sometimes offered to people with a weakened immune system — such as patients with HIV or going through chemotherapy — who are at higher risk of a more serious form of shigella infection where the bacteria enters the blood and can become deadly.
Drug-resistant strains accounted for 5% of shigella infections reported to the CDC in 2022, up from 0% in 2015, the agency said in a health advisory on Friday. There are around 450,000 cases of shigella infections in the US every year, according to the agency.
The CDC said there is not enough data to guide recommendations on how to use antibiotics to treat these drug-resistant infections, and such strains can also spread antimicrobial resistance genes to other bacteria in the intestines.
Shigella symptoms can include bloody diarrhea, stomach cramps, and a fever
The CDC said shigellosis causes diarrhea that can be bloody, a fever, stomach cramps, and the need to poop even when the bowels are empty. Symptoms usually last a week, and begin one to two days after a person is infected.
The agency advises drinking plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration during a shigella infection.
Shigella can be spread by unwashed hands or sexual contact
Shigella is contagious and spreads very easily. An infection happens when shigella germs from feces are accidentally consumed by another person, the CDC said. This can happen when a person eats food prepared by someone sick with shigellosis.
Shigella germs can also be spread via fruits and vegetables if the fields where they grow are contaminated, or by swallowing infected water from lakes or rivers.
Young children — aged one to four — are at high risk of shigellosis and outbreaks often occur in childcare settings. This can happen when young children put unwashed hands or toys in their mouth that are contaminated with shigella.
People traveling to countries without adequete sanitation can also be at risk of the disease.
Shigella can also be spread during sexual contact with someone who has recently had diarrhea caused by the bug. Men who have sex with men are more likely than others to catch shigella because germs in feces can be passed on during sexual activity, according to the CDC.
The CDC said that between January 2015 and January 2023 there were 239 reports of bacteria-resistant shigellosis in the US. The average age of those infected was 42 and 82% were men, while 5% were children.
88% of those infected with shigellosis who answered questions on sexual contact said they'd had male-to-male sexual contact.