Research from the Pathogen Dynamics Unit, published today in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases, shows that many men who have sex with men remain unaware of the growing risk posed by sexually transmitted Shigella. Variants of sexually-transmitted Shigella – a bacterial infection that causes bloody or prolonged diarrhoea and can lead to severe dehydration – are causing more disease and becoming increasingly antibiotic-resistant among sections of the UK’s LGBTQ+ community, the study has found. Kate Baker says it highlights a “critical gap in public health management”, as typical advice for Shigella, such as handwashing and food hygiene, is ineffective for interrupting sexual transmission. More information on the study. The research has also been extensively covered in Sky News , Sun , Daily Mail , Times of India, Newsbeat (Greece) , Cambridgeshire Live , Pink News , The Lad Bible as well as many UK regional papers.
