December 22, 2023
Gay and Bisexual Men Warned of 'Extremely' Antibiotic-Resistant Shigella Strain in UK
Emell Adolphus READ TIME: 1 MIN.
There is a super "extremely" antibiotic-resistant strain of Shigella is hitting the UK, and gay and bisexual men have been warned about the spike in cases of the superbug being spread through sex.
According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Shigella sonnei cases have soared 24-fold in England in less than a year.
Symptoms include gut infection, diarrhea, stomach cramps and a fever, leading some patients will need to be hospitalized.
"Official data shows 97 cases of the infection have been reported this year alone, up to the end of November. Just four were logged in 2022," The Daily Mail reported. Those numbers also mark the highest number of annual antibiotic-resistant cases of Shigella since the beginning of the pandemic.
Health officials stressed the importance of STI testing in response to the rising cases.
"Among gay and bisexual men it's thought to be spread primarily through the faecal-oral route during sex, either directly or via unwashed hands as only a tiny amount of bacteria is needed to spread the infection," Daily Mail reports.
Shigella can be transmitted through the licking of surfaces that have fecal matter. Symptoms can develop around one to three days after sex.
"While 90 per cent of cases logged in 2023 were among men with an average age of 35, suggesting 'a predominance of sexual transmission,' UKHSA chiefs also warned of the dangers of foodborne infection," the Daily Mail reports.
