NewsDesk @bactiman63
In a follow-up on the extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Shigella sonnei situation in Europe, the World Health Organization released a report Thursday with the latest information:
The World Health Organisation (WHO) was notified on 4 February 2022 of an unusually high number of cases of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Shigella sonnei which have been reported in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and several other countries in the WHO European Region since late 2021. Although most infections with S. sonnei result in a short duration of disease and low case fatality, multi-drug resistant (MDR) and XDR shigellosis is a public health concern since treatment options are very limited for moderate to severe cases.
Situation in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is currently investigating a cluster of 84 cases of XDR S. sonnei, with the dates of sample collection between 4 September 2021 and 1 March 2022. This compares to 16 cases, none of which were XDR, in a 17-month period between 1 April 2020 and 31 August 2021, although case notification rates during this time may have been underestimated due to the COVID-19 pandemic control measures. Cases from the investigated cluster are distributed across all regions of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
- Norway outbreak: Pseudomonas aeruginosa may be linked to pre-moistened disposable washcloths
- South Carolina: Chickenpox outbreaks prompt calls for vaccination
- Ohio records nearly 600 Lyme disease cases in 2021, By far the most annual cases
- Afghanistan: Trend of new measles cases reported in all provinces have continued to increase sharply in 2022
