hard to treat diarrhea infection- is in Stark

Key Points:

• Stark County, Ohio, has reported 12 cases of shigellosis this year, a contagious bacterial infection causing diarrhea, with most cases affecting men and leading to hospitalizations; however, officials do not consider it an outbreak.
• Ohio has seen about 360 cases so far this year, consistent with past years outside the COVID-19 pandemic period, while the CDC estimates 450,000 cases annually in the U.S., making shigellosis the third most common bacterial enteric disease.
• Shigellosis spreads through fecal-oral contact, sexual activity involving stool exposure, and contaminated food or water, with higher risk groups including young children, travelers, men who have sex with men, and people experiencing homelessness.
• Symptoms include diarrhea (sometimes bloody), fever, stomach pain, and urgency to defecate, lasting about a week; prevention focuses on handwashing, safe food and water practices, and avoiding sexual contact during infection.
• Health officials are concerned about rising drug-resistant strains of shigella, with extensively drug-resistant cases increasing to 8.5% in 2023, prompting CDC warnings and emphasizing the need for enhanced surveillance and prevention measures.