Stomach-turning sexually transmitted infection is on the rise — and standard medicines are failing
Drug-resistant Shigella, a gut infection that can spread through sexual contact, is becoming harder to treat, according to a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. The findings highlight shrinking treatment options, rather than a rise in overall infections.
The report tracked nearly 17,000 samples collected from 2011 to 2023; 8.5% of samples with resistance data were extensively drug-resistant in 2023, compared with none from 2011 to 2015. Most identified cases were in adult men, and 37.6% of patients with hospitalisation data were admitted to hospital; no deaths were reported among the cases analysed. The CDC said infections may be undercounted, and doctors advised seeking medical advice if Shigella is suspected.
- XDR Shigella accounted for 8.5% of tested samples in 2023.
- The report signals growing resistance, not a surge in infections.
- No deaths were reported among the cases analysed.
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Shigella is a group of bacteria that causes an intestinal infection called shigellosis. It can spread through contaminated food or water, or when tiny amounts of infected faeces reach another person’s mouth; this can happen during sexual contact.
The infection can cause diarrhoea, stomach cramps and fever. Many people recover without antibiotics, but doctors may use these medicines for severe illness or to limit spread among people at higher risk.
Drug resistance means some antibiotics no longer work against a bacterium. When Shigella resists several kinds of antibiotics, treating serious cases can become more difficult, leaving doctors with fewer options.