There are four subgroups of Shigella bacteria, all with different biochemical traits. The most common in the United States is s.sonnei, sometimes called Group D Shigella, which is the cause of more than 75 percent of domestic cases.
New strains have developed over the years, and the danger is that the newest of them seem resistant to common antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin, the most common treatment medical professionals use for gastrointestinal problems.
The CDC reported that it uncovered more than 240 cases of Cipro resistance in cases of shigellosis between May 2014 and February 2015. That opens the potential for larger, more uncontrolled outbreaks of the disease.
How Is It Spread?
Most cases of shigellosis come from ingesting food or water that has been in contact with infected fecal matter. It can be transmitted through ingestion, skin or contact during sexual activity and can spread rapidly in enclosed environments like cruise ships, prisons, daycare centers, schools, nursing homes and gyms. Because the infected remain contagious from shortly after the moment they start showing symptoms and can remain contagious for days after recovery, it’s a particularly virulent disease.
Children are particularly at risk of contracting the disease, and the blame goes mainly to poor personal hygiene and a lack of immunity to the most common form of the bacteria. When you combine poor handwashing with children, many of whom are still in diapers, then you have a ripe setting for spreading the disease. Children’s aquatics locations are particularly susceptible for the same reasons.