Experts warn of surge in almost incurable, sexually transmitted infection with severe diarrhea

Scientists from Cambridge University analyzed the spread of shigellosis — a bacterial intestinal infection caused by bacteria of the genus Shigella. The disease is accompanied by severe diarrhea, often with blood, severe abdominal pain, high fever, and episodes of nausea.

Typically, a person becomes infected by consuming contaminated food or water, or by contact with surfaces where microscopic particles of feces remain. According to global estimates, more than 200,000 people die from shigellosis annually. The most common causes of death are critical dehydration, severe intestinal complications, or malnutrition. During shigellosis outbreaks, about a third of patients require inpatient treatment.

However, researchers note that sexual contact is beginning to play an increasingly significant role in the spread of shigellosis. Bacteria can be transmitted through contact with microscopic fecal particles during anal sex, oral-anal practices, and also through sex toys or other objects if even invisible traces of contamination remain on them.

According to British data, most cases of sexually transmitted infection are currently registered among men who have sex with men.

Alarming growth rates

The study, published in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases, covered 3,514 samples of Shigella sonnei collected in the UK from 2004–2020. About a third of the cases were attributed by researchers to possible sexual transmission, another third were associated with other sources of infection within the country, and the rest were linked to recent travel to Africa, Asia, Latin American and Caribbean countries, where shigellosis remains a widespread infection.

The analysis showed that strains transmitted during sexual contact spread faster and over greater distances than others. During the observation period, the average geographical distance between related infection cases reached 117 kilometers, compared to 46 kilometers for other strains.

The highest concentration of such cases was observed in London and Manchester, where almost half of all shigellosis infections were linked specifically to the sexual route of transmission.

A separate concern is the resistance of these bacteria to antibiotics. About 70% of sexually transmitted infection cases were resistant to at least one of the main drugs used to treat shigellosis. For other infection cases, this figure was about 40%.

The study authors argue that sexually transmitted shigellosis should be considered a separate public health threat. In their opinion, the spread of antibiotic-resistant strains of this infection is likely to intensify in the coming years.

Statistics from the UK Health Security Agency show that in 2025, the number of registered cases of presumed sexual transmission increased by almost a quarter compared to 2023. More than half of these cases were recorded in London.

How to protect yourself?

The study authors note that traditional preventive measures, such as hand washing and food hygiene, are no longer sufficient. As shigellosis is increasingly transmitted through sexual contact, this route of infection should also be considered.

To reduce the risk, specialists recommend practicing hygiene before and after sexual contact, using barrier protection methods, changing condoms when switching from anal to oral sex, and thoroughly washing sex toys after use.

In cases of severe diarrhea, especially if accompanied by blood, severe abdominal pain, or fever, it should not be hastily dismissed as common food poisoning. If sexual contact occurred shortly before, doctors advise consulting a doctor and undergoing examination.

If shigellosis is confirmed, specialists recommend refraining from sexual contact until full recovery and not resuming it immediately after symptoms disappear, to avoid transmitting the infection to others. Additionally, patients are advised to get tested for other sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.

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