Rise in sexually transmitted diarrheas

Sexually transmitted diarrheas are increasing and are becoming increasingly resistant to medications. The bacterium Shigella, which can be transmitted during sexual relations, has developed resistance that complicates its treatment.

Shigellosis as a growing epidemic

A certain type of diarrhea does not only increase the frequency of bathroom visits, but it can also be transmitted during sexual relations. The United States is facing an epidemic: approximately 450,000 people contract this disease, known as shigellosis, each year.

Historical spread and new transmission routes

This infection can lead to dysentery, meaning inflammation of the colon. Historically, this highly contagious bacteria spread through contaminated food or water during travel and also among young children in daycare centers. However, since the beginning of the century, the bacteria Shigella have also become sexually transmitted infections.

Growing antibiotic resistance

Several American centers for disease control and prevention (CDC) have looked into the issue. It appears that the proportion of drug-resistant strains has significantly increased. In 2011, no resistant samples had been detected. In 2023, five main antibiotics were no longer effective against 8.5% of the bacteria.

Global spread and expert warnings

According to Shangxin Yang, a molecular biologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, a new case of drug-resistant Shigella is observed every month. Sex, the main vector of transmission. Today, the data suggest that transmission mainly occurs during sexual relations. However, it seems that the virus is spreading beyond American borders.

International concern and treatment challenges

Geneticist Kate Baker from the University of Cambridge recently identified a similar increase across the English Channel, in a study published in July in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases. "Over the last decade or so, this disease, which was relatively treatable with available medications, has become almost incurable," she warns.

Prevention and awareness measures

Facing sexually transmitted infections, everyone has their own method of prevention and risk reduction. According to the researcher, the disease goes beyond simple sexually transmitted diarrhea. "It is multiple variants that overlap and quickly become resistant to the medications used to treat them. It is very likely that if you have contracted shigellosis through sexual contact, you will need a different treatment than someone who contracted it during a trip," she observes.

Recommendations for reducing risk

To limit the risks, it is recommended to use condoms during oral and anal sex, to wash hands before and after sexual activity, and to avoid sexual relations with someone who has had diarrhea in the last two weeks. If shigellosis is suspected, screening is recommended. Be careful during your next sexual encounters, a much more severe diarrhea than one might think is circulating.