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Drug-Resistant Shigella Spreads Across US
14 Apr
Summary
- Drug-resistant Shigella infections have increased by 8.5% in the US.
- This strain of Shigella lacks an approved oral treatment from the FDA.
- The CDC warns of a growing public health threat from this bacteria.
A drug-resistant strain of Shigella, a bacterium that causes diarrhea, is increasingly prevalent across the United States. Federal health officials reported an 8.5% jump in these infections from 2011 to 2023. This extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Shigella is concerning because there is no Food and Drug Administration-approved oral treatment available for it.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified this rise as a public health threat. Shigella spreads easily through various means, including person-to-person contact, sexual transmission, and contaminated food or water. Annually, an estimated 450,000 Shigella infections occur nationwide.
Health officials have previously sounded the alarm regarding this resistant strain. In 2023, the CDC issued an advisory warning about XDR Shigella's growing danger due to its resistance to commonly used oral antibiotics. Experts note that managing these resistant strains is challenging, and they are becoming more common in treatment.
Symptoms of shigellosis include diarrhea, which can be bloody, along with stomach pain and fever. Historically, shigellosis primarily affected children, but recent data from 2016 to 2023 indicates cases are predominantly among non-Hispanic White men. The CDC emphasizes the need for enhanced surveillance, timely reporting, and targeted prevention to control the spread of XDR Shigella.
