Infections from sexually transmitted bacterium on the rise—and developing resistance to antibiotics

An intestinal bacterium that causes diarrhea, vomiting and, in some cases, dysentery is also spreading through sexual contact and developing resistance to multiple antibiotics, making its treatment increasingly difficult in the country.

This is Shigella, a bacterium that causes approximately 450,000 infections per year in the country, according to data cited in reports published by ScienceAlert and The New York Post this Friday.

Historically, this infection has been transmitted primarily through contaminated food or water and through contact among young children, especially in daycare centers. However, since the late 20th century, sexual transmission has become increasingly significant.

Shigella infections can affect anyone, but they are considered endemic in some communities of gay and bisexual men. Experts warn that several of the strains circulating in these communities have developed resistance to multiple antibiotics.

A recent analysis by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified an increase in extremely drug-resistant Shigella strains, known as XDR, between 2011 and 2023.

According to the analysis, which examined nearly 17,000 samples of the bacterium, strains resistant to five commonly used antibiotics accounted for 0% of the samples in 2011. By 2023, that proportion had risen to 8.5%.