Does Ohio have sexually transmitted diarrhea disease?

Key Points:

• Health officials are warning about a highly contagious sexually transmitted diarrheal disease called shigellosis, with Ohio reporting 360 cases so far in 2026, primarily affecting adult men and young children.
• Shigellosis symptoms include diarrhea, stomach pain, fever, nausea, and sometimes bloody diarrhea, with infections spreading through fecal-oral transmission, sexual contact, and contaminated food or water.
• The CDC is particularly concerned about the rise of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Shigella strains, which resist common antibiotics and made up 8.5% of samples in 2023, posing a growing public health threat.
• Preventive measures recommended by the CDC include proper handwashing, avoiding swallowing water while swimming, practicing safe food and water habits, and abstaining from sex for at least two weeks after symptoms end.
• Although most people recover within a week without antibiotics, the increase in drug-resistant shigellosis highlights the importance of hygiene, timely medical care, and strengthened surveillance to limit transmission.