Shigellosis, caused by bacteria called Shigella sonnei, is a gastrointestinal infection that can cause a range of unpleasant symptoms including bloody diarrhea, vomiting and fever.
While the bug is common in many countries including the UK, recent outbreaks in popular tourist destinations in Spain are reportedly raising concern among health officials.
This is because the infection is said to be breaking out in “clusters” which are showing signs of being resistant to multiple drugs.
Around 60 people have fallen ill with the bug across Spain, with areas of Ireland, Germany and the US also singled out for areas of high transmission, according to reports.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) have recorded 300 cases in total of the illness since April this year, many of which have been identified as multi drug-resistant.
Those who experience severe symptoms of the bug are typically treated with antibiotics; however, the ECDC reported of the recent cases: “All strains in these seven clusters show resistance to first and second-line antibiotics”.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) first reported evidence of an “unusually high number” of drug-resistant shigella sonnei cases in March last year, saying that these strains first began to emerge in late 2021 across the UK and Ireland as well as a number of other European countries.
Although most infections with shigella sonnei result in a short duration of disease and low case fatality, multi-drug resistant (MDR) and drug-resistant (XDR) shigellosis is a public health concern since treatment options are very limited for moderate to severe cases, the WHO said.
Tags: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Health warning, Spain tourism, summer holidays, World Health Organisation (WHO)
