XDR Shigella sonnei : Possible Sexual Transmission
On March 16, the Ministry of Health released a Memorandum alerting Public Health Units of recent trend related to extensively drug resistant (XDR) Shigella cases in Ontario. To date, at least 10 male cases have been identified in Ontario with onset between March 29, 2022 and January 31, 2023. The predominant route of transmission for these cases has been identified as sexual contact between men who have sex with men (MSM).
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health is requesting that local health care providers and those who work in sexual health and specialized clinics for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (gbMSM) remain vigilant when assessing patients presenting with shigellosis symptoms.
Shigellosis is a reportable disease in Ontario. Shigella bacteria are transmitted by the fecal-oral route, directly through person-to-person contact including sexual contact and indirectly through contaminated food, water and other routes. The risk of acquisition through sexual route is quite high and the infectious dose required to make a person ill is quite low.
For additional information:
Current information on COVID-19 specifically for health care providers can be found at hpePublicHealth.ca, Ontario Ministry of Health, and at publichealthontario.ca.
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