Shigella gay men

Multi-drug resistant Shigella detected in the UK and USA, mostly in gay men

Public health authorities in the UK have issued a warning about a highly drug-resistant strain of a solemn bacterial gut infection that can be contracted through sex.

Between March and November last year, 17 cases of Shigella dysentery with resistance to several first-line antibiotics were detected.

It appears that transmission is clustered among gay and other men who have sex with men (MSM). Fourteen of the 17 UK cases involve men and nine further cases have been identified in the United States, all involving MSM.

Glossary

shigella

A bacterial infection causing severe, prolonged diarrhoea and stomach cramps. It is transmitted by contact with very little amounts of human faeces and can be successfully treated with antibiotics. 

antibiotics

Antibiotics, also known as antibacterials, are medications that destroy or lazy down the growth of bacteria. They are used to treat diseases caused by bacteria.

strain

A variant characterised by a specific genotype.

diarrhoea

Abnormal

Shigella dysentery on the rise among gay and bisexual men

A unused campaign to alert gay and bisexual men about the risk of Shigella dysentery is being launched today by Public Health England (PHE) in partnership with Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), as new figures display a surge in cases likely to have been sexually-acquired over the past 12 months. In the UK, ‘Shigella flexneri’ usually affects similar numbers of men and women and is linked with overseas tour, but data exhibit an excess of more than cases of the infection in men with no or unknown travel history, compared to women. London is most affected.

Shigella is a intense gut infection causing severe, prolonged diarrhoea and stomach cramps. Among gay and bisexual men, Shigella is usually passed on through the faecal-oral route during sex, either directly or via unwashed hands - only a tiny amount of bacteria can spread the infection. Symptoms often progress around 1 to 3 days after sex, including:

  • frequent and explosive diarrhoea long-lasting more than 48 hours

  • stomach cramps

  • feeling feverish with flu appreciate symptoms

  • some pe

    One sexually transmitted infections (STI) that is less heard of is shigella, a bacteria that causes a bowel infection, usually among guys who have sex with guys. The infection itself is called shigellosis, and is highly contagious. Transmission occurs when you come into contact with particles of contaminated faeces, and the bacteria enters your body through the mouth.

    Common ways shigella can be transmitted include:

    • Rimming, fingering, fisting or fucking
    • Handling used sex toys
    • Handling used condoms
    • Making contact with your mouth after they have come into contact with faecal matter that contains shigella.

    Generally, symptoms from shigella appear within days after infection.

    For guys who verb they may be showing symptoms of shigella, these are the most frequent signs you could have the STI.

    1. Diarrhoea

    Got a case of the runs after a nighttime of fun? As a bowel infection, it probably comes as no surprise that shigella can cause a person to visit the bathroom much more frequently than they’d like to.

    2. Vomiting or nausea

    An unsettled stomach and vomiting is also a potential

    Rise in extremely drug-resistant Shigella in gay and bisexual men

    Surveillance by UKHSA has detected a rise in cases of extremely antibiotic-resistant Shigella sonnei infections, mainly in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM).

    There verb been 47 cases in the 4-month period between 1 September and 10 January This compares to 16 cases in a month period the previous year – between 1 April and 31 August UKHSA has been following this strain since , but recent cases show resistance to antibiotics is increasing.

    Shigella is a gut infection that causes diarrhoea (sometimes mixed with blood), stomach cramps and fever. It is caused by bacteria found in faeces. Sex that may involve anal contact or contact with faeces is one way that the infection can spread. It is passed on through the faecal-oral route during sex, either directly or via unwashed hands and only a tiny amount of bacteria can spread the infection.

    Symptoms are typically seen between 1 and 4 days after exposure and are commonly mistaken for food poisoning.

    Shigella is very infectious. Although symptom