Posted April 2, 2015 6:35 PM ET; Last updated April 4, 2015 5:12 PM ET
[From article]
Many cases were traced to people who had recently traveled to the Dominican Republic, India or other countries. Outbreaks of the shigella bacteria are not unusual, but this strain is resistant to the antibiotic most commonly prescribed for adults.
“This is the first time we’ve documented this large an outbreak of antibiotic-resistant (shigella) linked to international travel,” said Dr. Anna Bowen of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Since last May, the imported superbug has sickened at least 243 people, with large recent outbreaks in
Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and California.
[. . .]
For most people, it’s an unpleasant but temporary illness that ends within a week and can be helped with over-the-counter medicines like Pepto-Bismol or Imodium. Sometimes antibiotics are used: usually azithromycin for children and ciprofloxacin, sold as Cipro, for adults.
The past few years, health officials have been detecting shigella bugs resistant to azithromycin. The Cipro-resistant superbug has sickened people in 32 states and Puerto Rico.
http://nypost.com/2015/04/04/drug-resistant-stomach-bug-spreads-in-us/“This is the first time we’ve documented this large an outbreak of antibiotic-resistant (shigella) linked to international travel,” said Dr. Anna Bowen of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Since last May, the imported superbug has sickened at least 243 people, with large recent outbreaks in
Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and California.
[. . .]
For most people, it’s an unpleasant but temporary illness that ends within a week and can be helped with over-the-counter medicines like Pepto-Bismol or Imodium. Sometimes antibiotics are used: usually azithromycin for children and ciprofloxacin, sold as Cipro, for adults.
The past few years, health officials have been detecting shigella bugs resistant to azithromycin. The Cipro-resistant superbug has sickened people in 32 states and Puerto Rico.
Drug-resistant stomach bug spreads in US
By Associated Press
New York Post
April 4, 2015 | 9:58am
* * *
[From article]
An intestinal illness carried by international travelers is spreading across the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The culprit bacteria have proven to be resistant to the antibiotic Cipro, most commonly prescribed to treat the infection.
Called Shigella, the bug turned up in 243 cases in 32 states and Puerto Rico between May and February, the CDC said in a statement today. The biggest clusters were reported in California, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.
[. . .]Called Shigella, the bug turned up in 243 cases in 32 states and Puerto Rico between May and February, the CDC said in a statement today. The biggest clusters were reported in California, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.
"These outbreaks show a troubling trend in Shigella infections in the United States," CDC Director Tom Frieden said in the statement. "Drug-resistant infections are harder to treat and because Shigella spreads so easily between people, the potential for more—and larger—outbreaks is a real concern."
[. . .]
Infections with Shigella are not normally fatal, according to the CDC. About a quarter of the cases in the most recent outbreaks were hospitalized, and no deaths were reported. Annually, Shigella causes about 500,000 illnesses, 5,500 hospitalizations, and 40 deaths in the U.S., according to the White House's National Strategy For Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria. While these strains are predominantly resistant to Cipro, most are still susceptible to at least one other oral antibiotic, the CDC said.
Shigella infections often clear on their own, though doctors frequently prescribe antibiotics for even mild illnesses, the CDC said.
[. . .]
Infections with Shigella are not normally fatal, according to the CDC. About a quarter of the cases in the most recent outbreaks were hospitalized, and no deaths were reported. Annually, Shigella causes about 500,000 illnesses, 5,500 hospitalizations, and 40 deaths in the U.S., according to the White House's National Strategy For Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria. While these strains are predominantly resistant to Cipro, most are still susceptible to at least one other oral antibiotic, the CDC said.
Shigella infections often clear on their own, though doctors frequently prescribe antibiotics for even mild illnesses, the CDC said.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102557539
Drug-resistant intestinal illness Shigella spreading in US
Meg Tirrell | @megtirrell
April 2, 2015
Drug-resistant intestinal illness Shigella spreading in US
Meg Tirrell | @megtirrell
April 2, 2015
