Dive Brief:
- An antibiotic-resistant form of shigella has been spreading across the US causing more than 240 illnesses in just under a year. It is believed to have been brought into the country by people who were traveling internationally.
- Although shigella outbreaks are not uncommon, this particular strain is resistant to azithromycin.
- Since last May, more than 243 people in 32 states and Puerto Rico have become ill with the antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Dive Insight:
Shigella spreads easily through contaminated foods, swimming pools or ponds. It is also spread in daycare centers when employees don't practice good hand hygiene after diaper changes. In most cases, symptoms of the stomach bug can be treated with over-the-counter anti-diarrheal medications. In other cases, antibiotics are required.
"This is the first time we've documented this large an outbreak of antibiotic-resistant (shigella) linked to international travel," said Anna Bowen, MD, MPH, a medical officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "It's moving itself around the country," Bowen says, but cautions that it's too early to know if the superbug is here to stay.