Overview
- Researchers analysed 3,514 Shigella samples collected across the UK from 2004–2020 and reported that sexually transmitted variants have become a sustained part of transmission in gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.
- The study found STI‑linked strains grew about 15% faster year‑on‑year between 2015 and 2020 and spread farther across the country, averaging 117 km between related cases over roughly 2.5 years.
- UKHSA data shows 2,560 likely sexually acquired cases were recorded in England in 2025, with infections concentrated in cities including London, Brighton and Manchester.
- About 70% of sexually transmitted strains were resistant to at least one clinically relevant antibiotic, far higher than other groups, and some strains have combined resistance to azithromycin, ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone.
- Public‑health experts say standard food‑hygiene advice does not address sexual transmission and recommend targeted testing, clearer sexual‑health messaging, asking about sexual history in clinics, and urgent development of new treatment protocols.