An ‘alarming’ drug-resistant superbug is spreading across major US cities, doctors warn.
Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles identified three cases of shigella in the city, a bacterial infection that causes explosive and bloody diarrhea, as well as severe stomach pain.
The patients, all of whom were men, had all been infected with the XDR Shigella sonnei strain of the disease, which is resistant to five common antibiotics.
All three men were infected within a three-month window between 2023 and 2024 and are believed to have caught the disease via sex.
The researchers said that while all of the men had a similar strain of shigella, it was distinct from past XDR strains found in other parts of the world.
This suggests it had been spreading in the area for some time, and they warned of the possibility of an outbreak that could spread to other areas.
The researchers wrote: ‘The discovery of a novel XDR S. sonnei actively spreading in Los Angeles is alarming.
Though these cases were limited to Los Angeles, similar outbreaks have been seen in major cities like San Jose and Portland among gay men and homeless populations.
Shigella is transmitted when someone comes in contact with fecal matter through sex, diapers, food or water
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The researchers said: ‘While most people recover from Shigella infections without antibiotics, patients who require treatment and who fail to respond to usual antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin and azithromycin may need alternate treatment regimens.
‘These cases highlight the rapid expansion of XDR Shigella in the US and urgent need for appropriate detection and management.’
All three men recovered, though one developed a severe infection and ended up in intensive care.
The bacteria spreads when someone comes into contact with fecal matter, such as through sex or contaminated food or water.
This patient was a 62-year-old with a history of HIV and hepatitis C, both of which may have left him immunocompromised and unable to fight off the infection on his own.
He had survived shigella twice prior, as well as Mpox, syphilis, and gonorrhea.
He was rushed to the ICU with sepsis, the body’s extreme reaction to an infection that causes the immune system to attack healthy organs and tissues.
He recovered and was treated with the injection meropenem, an alternative to antibiotics.
The other two patients, ages 29 and 62, went to their primary care doctors for persistent diarrhea and were treated with several courses of antibiotics.
The CDC estimates there are 450,000 reported cases of shigella in the US every year, and over half are resistant to common antibiotics like ciprofloxacin (Cipro).
Gay and bisexual men are at the greatest risk, along with homeless people without reliable access to clean hygiene facilities.
Earlier this year, for example, officials in San Jose, California, confirmed three cases and suspected another 19 of shigella in a two-week period. The breakouts are centered around homeless encampments in the area.
And last year, 45 cases of the bacteria were confirmed in Portland, Oregon, encampments.
The UCLA experts warned: ‘The temporal proximity of the cases prompted concerns for a potential outbreak.
‘Our study provides timely and deeper insights into the rapid spread of XDR Shigella in the United States.’
