In April, HIV Prevention England hosted a webinar with colleagues from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH). You can watch a video of the webinar below.
Colleagues will be aware that surveillance by the UKHSA has detected a rise in cases of extremely antibiotic-resistant Shigella sonnei infections, mainly in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM).
Shigella consists of bacteria that cause intestinal infection resulting in symptoms ranging from mild to severe (including diarrhoea, fever, and abdominal pain). In most cases symptoms subside within a week, but some individuals need hospitalisation and require intravenous antibiotic treatment.
Transmission occurs via the faecal-oral route through direct contact with an infected person, or exposure to contaminated surfaces, food or water. In the UK cases are increasingly via sexual transmission (direct oral-anal contact, oral sex after anal sex or play, including fingering or use of sex toys).
Your contribution is very important in helping us to recognise cases and raise awareness of how shigella is transmitted.
Shigella webinar recording
The webinar provided a short ten minute presentation, followed by a detailed Q&A discussion with a panel of experts from UKHSA and BASHH.
The video of the webinar below covers:
- ‘Maybe it’s shigella’ campaign resources and information for patients
- Brief introduction to shigella
- Update on epidemiology of sexually transmitted shigella in England
- Update on outbreak of extensively-drug resistant Shigella sonnei
- Q&A discussion
Resources
Download the webinar slides: Shigella trends in England (UKHSA) [PDF]
Find out what patient resources and information are available.
We’re telling everyone: someone living with HIV and on effective treatment can’t pass it on. It’s one of the most positive messages someone living with HIV can hear. It reduces the stigma around HIV and provides motivation to stay on treatment to keep both themselves and their sexual partners healthy.
HIV Prevention England is hosting an upcoming shigella webinar and providing free shigella posters and leaflets, as well as links to further information relevant to the public, patients and health care professionals.