Diarrhea-Causing 'Superbug' on the Rise, CDC Says. Should You Be Worried?

The CDC has issued a warning about a drug-resistant “superbug” on the rise in the United States. Image Credit: Viktoriya Skorikova/Getty Images The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a report that showed that drug-resistant Shigella is on the rise in the United States. Shigella bacteria cause the infection shigellosis. Extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Shigella strains are typically resistant to five commonly used antibiotics. Shigella can be easily transmitted, including through person-to-person contact and contaminated food. There are ways to prevent the spread of Shigella, including regular handwashing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a warning about a drug-resistant, diarrhea-causing “superbug” on the rise in the United States. The CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) on April 9 shows increasing infection rates linked to (XDR) Shigella, a bacterium that causes diarrhea. These bacteria cause an infection known as shigellosis. According to the CDC, Shigella causes around 450,000 infections in the United States each year. “Antibiotic resistance is a global issue because antibiotics are overused and used inappropriately around the world,” said William Schaffner, MD, a professor of preventive medicine and professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “In the U.S., clinicians and public health have worked hard to become good stewards of antibiotics, using them carefully,” he told Healthline. XDR Shigella cases increased by 8.5% The CDC analyzed 16,788 Shigella isolates that were collected through PulseNet between 2011 and 2023. Around 3% (510) of these isolates were identified as XDR. The proportion of XDR isolates changed from 0% during 2011 to 2015 to 8.5% in 2023. XDR Shigella is defined by its resistance to five commonly used antibiotics: ampicillin azithromycin ceftriaxone ciprofloxacin trimetho