Doctors are raising the alarm about the superbug Shigella bacteria causing violent symptoms and spreading across the US

An ‘alarming’ drug-resistant superbug is spreading across major US cities, doctors warn.

Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles identified three cases of shigella in the city, a bacterial infection that causes explosive and bloody diarrhea, as well as severe abdominal pain.

The patients, who were all men, were all infected with the XDR Shigella sonnei strain of the disease, which is resistant to five common antibiotics.

All three men were infected within a three-month period between 2023 and 2024 and are believed to have contracted the disease through sex.

The researchers said that although all the men had a similar shigella strain, it was distinct from previous XDR strains found in other parts of the world.

This suggests that the disease had been spreading in the area for some time and they warned of the possibility of an outbreak that could spread to other areas.

The researchers wrote: ‘The discovery of a novel XDR S. sonnei actively spreading in Los Angeles is alarming.

While these cases were limited to Los Angeles, similar outbreaks have been seen in major cities like San Jose and Portland among gay men and the homeless.

The researchers said: ‘While most people recover from Shigella infections without antibiotics, patients requiring treatment who do not respond to common antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin and azithromycin may need alternative treatment regimens.

‘These cases highlight the rapid expansion of XDR Shigella in the US and the urgent need for appropriate detection and management.’

All three men recovered, although one developed a serious infection and ended up in intensive care.

The bacteria spread when someone comes into contact with feces, for example through sex or contaminated food or water.

This patient was a 62-year-old with a history of HIV and hepatitis C, which may have left him with a weakened immune system and inability to fight the infection on his own.

He had survived shigella twice before, as well as Mpox, syphilis and gonorrhea.

He was rushed to intensive care due to sepsis, the body’s extreme response to an infection that causes the immune system to attack healthy organs and tissues.

He recovered and was treated with meropenem injection, an alternative to antibiotics.

The other two patients, aged 29 and 62, went to their GP because of persistent diarrhea and were treated with different courses of antibiotics.

The CDC estimates that 450,000 cases of shigella are reported in the US each year, and more than half are resistant to common antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro).

Gay and bisexual men are at greatest risk, along with homeless people without reliable access to clean hygiene facilities.

For example, earlier this year, officials in San Jose, California, confirmed three cases and suspected another 19 cases of shigella in a two-week period. The escapes are concentrated around homeless camps in the area.

And last year, 45 cases of the bacteria were confirmed in camps in Portland, Oregon.

The UCLA experts warned: “The temporal proximity of the cases raised concerns about a possible outbreak.

‘Our research provides current and deeper insights into the rapid spread of XDR Shigella in the United States.’