A gut bug that can also spread during sex and cause violent diarrhoea has been labelled a ‘public health threat’ in the UK.
Health officials and experts have warned of the risk posed by Shigella bacteria, a sexually transmitted diarrhoea disease.
The alarm was raised after it was found to be spreading rapidly among some gay and bisexual men.
The disease is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, the study by UKHSA and the University of Cambridge warned.
Shigella bacteria causing dysentery is usually found in faeces and contracted through contaminated food.
But Shigella strains transmitted sexually have been rising steadily in western countries in the 2000s, to a point it has been declared endemic in some communities of men who have sex with men.
Symptoms include diarrhoea, cramps and fever. Men who suspect they may have Shigella are advised to visit a sexual health clinic or GP to get tested.
Cases of the disease potentially linked to sexual contact surged to 2,560 last year, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
The study found that sexually transmitted Shigella could spread quicker than non-STI strains.
Sexual contact linked Shigella averaged 72 miles (117km) between strains, while non-STI strains reached just 28 miles (46km).
The study, published in The Lancet of Infectious Diseases journal, flagged a gap in public health education as typical advice for Shigella includes handwashing and food hygiene, which are ineffective in targeting sexual transmission.
Professor Kate Baker, senior author of the study from Cambridge’s Department of Genetics, warned that because of the increased antibiotic resistance ‘we’re in a situation where it’s virtually untreatable with drugs.’
And unlike a quicker vomiting bug or food poisoning, which Shigella is often mistaken for, the illness can last for a week or longer.
Professor Baker said: ‘Sexually transmissible Shigellosis needs to be treated as a distinct public health threat, requiring different surveillance, prevention, and treatment strategies.’
She urged people to think carefully if they have stomach bug-like symptoms before going out or having sex to stop the spread.
Shigella advice
Shigella can spread from a tiny amount of infected poo if coming in contact with the mouth, for example through rimming and oral sex after anal sex.
A person with Shigella can be infectious for up to a month.
How to minimise risk of the infection:
- wash hands, bottom, groin and penis with a shower after anal sex
- change condoms between anal and oral sex
- use latex or non-latex gloves for fingering or fisting
- don’t share sex toys or douching equipment
Source: NHS
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