CDC reports surge in antibiotic-resistant stomach bug
TribLIVE.com • • health
Key Points:
- The CDC reports a rise in extensively drug-resistant shigellosis cases, increasing from 0% in 2011 to about 9% in 2023, complicating treatment options for this common stomach infection.
- Shigellosis symptoms include fever, stomach pain, and diarrhea, with severe cases leading to hospitalization, especially among people with weakened immune systems; no oral antibiotics are currently FDA-approved for these resistant strains.
- The disease spreads easily through fecal-oral transmission, often via diaper changing, contaminated food, or sexual contact, with men who have sex with men and recent travelers at higher risk.
- Prevention relies heavily on hand-washing and avoiding food preparation or sexual activity while infected; although resistant cases are harder to treat, they do not appear to be increasing the overall number of infections.
- Antibiotic resistance remains a critical public health concern, with over 2.8 million drug-resistant infections and 35,000 deaths annually in the U.S., underscoring the urgent need for careful antibiotic use and new treatment strategies.
