A stomach bug you thought came from bad food is now spreading through s*x – and doctors say it’s morphing into a superbug.
The culprit is *Shigella*, the bacteria behind dysentery. It causes severe bloody diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, and dehydration that can knock you out for 4-5 days and hospitalize you.
For decades it was known as a food and water-borne infection. Now it’s *endemic in s*xual networks, primarily among gay, bis*xual and other men who have s*x with men (GBMSM).
*How Fast Is It Rising?*
– In England, UK Health Security Agency recorded *2,560 s*xually transmitted Shigella cases in 2025*, up from 2,052 in 2023 – a 25% surge in 2 years
– A nationwide genomic study in _The Lancet Infectious Diseases_ tracking 3,514 samples found s*xually transmitted strains spread an average *117km in 2.5 years*, vs 46km for non-s*xual strains
– Between 2015-2020, STI Shigella grew *15% faster year-over-year* than travel/food strains
– CDC data in the US shows XDR (extensively drug-resistant) cases among men who have s*x with men up *38% in early 2026 vs 2025*
*Becoming A Superbug*
This is the scary part.
CDC reports drug-resistant Shigella skyrocketed from *0% in 2011 to 8.5% in 2023*. In England in 2025, it hit a record high: *86% of Shigella sonnei and 94% of Shigella flexneri showed antibiotic resistance*, with more than half extensively drug-resistant.
> “This disease has gone from being relatively treatable with off-the-shelf drugs to being close to untreatable over the course of the last decade or so,” said Prof Kate Baker, University of Cambridge who led the study. e807
70% of s*xually transmitted strains were resistant to at least one clinically relevant antibiotic, vs 40% of non-s*xual strains. They are now resistant to three major drugs used to treat it: *ceftriaxone, azithromycin and ciprofloxacin.*
Why? Experts point to *“bystander resistance”* – when antibiotics taken for other STIs like gonorrhea accidentally train Shigella to resist them too.
> “This isn’t just one form of s*xually transmissible diarrhea. This is multiple overlapping variants emerging that are all quickly becoming resistant to the drugs we use to treat them,” Baker said.
*Symptoms & What To Do*
– Bloody or prolonged diarrhea, severe stomach cramps, fever, vomiting, dehydration lasting over a week
– Highly contagious – even a tiny amount of fecal matter can infect
*Doctors advise:*
1. Do NOT have s*x for at least 2 weeks after you fully recover
2. Wash hands thoroughly with soap before and after s*x.
3. If you have symptoms, tell your doctor about your s*xual history and ask for a full s*xual health screening
4. Avoid preparing food for others and swimming in public water while sick
5. If diagnosed, get tested for other STIs including HIV
There is currently *no FDA-approved oral treatment* for XDR strains. IV antibiotics in hospital may be only option.
UKHSA and CDC both now say s*xually transmitted Shigella should be treated as a distinct public health threat, not just food poisoning.
