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Shigella: guidance, data and analysis

The diagnosis, management and epidemiology of shigellosis (bacillary dysentery).

• From: Public Health England
• Published: 1 December 2013
• Last updated: 4 January 2019 — See all updates

Shigella infection, also known as shigellosis or bacillary dysentery, is caused by 4 species:

• Shigella dysenteriae
• Shigella flexneri
• Shigella boydii
• Shigella sonnei

S. boydii and S. dysenteriae are not indigenous to the UK and occur as travel associated cases. S. sonnei and S. flexneri are endemic in the UK, although they can also be travel associated. Primarily a disease of children, over the past 10 years in England and Wales, non-travel associated cases in adults aged 16- to 60-years-old have risen, to account for a majority of all cases reported. Outbreaks of S. sonnei and S. flexneri have been linked to person-to-person spread among men who have sex with men.

For symptoms of shigellosis, visit NHS.UK.

Diagnosis and management

• Shigellosis: public health management and questionnaire
  • 30 November 2017
  • Guidance
• Shigella: leaflet and poster for men who have sex with men
  • 17 March 2016
  • Promotional material
• Multi-drug resistant Shigella sonnei cluster (2018 to 2019)
  • 4 January 2019
  • Guidance

Epidemiology

• Shigella: national laboratory data
  • 2 February 2017
  • Research and analysis
• Shigella: epidemiology in adults in London
  • 22 June 2017
  • Research and analysis
• Shigella cases: 1992 to 2013
  • 2 December 2012
  • Research and analysis

Travel-associated infections

• Travel-associated Shigella infections
  • 23 February 2017
  • Research and analysis

Non-travel associated infections

Reports on non-travel associated shigella infections in England.

• Non-travel associated Shigella infections
  • 16 May 2024
  • Research and analysis

Published 1 December 2013
Last updated 4 January 2019 + show all updates

1. 4 January 2019

   Added 'Multi-drug resistant Shigella sonnei cluster (2018 to 2019)'.

2. 13 December 2017

   Added 'Shigellosis: public health management and questionnaire'.

3. 24 November 2017

   New sub-group added for non-travel associated infection reports

4. 22 June 2017

   Added 'Shigella: epidemiology in adults in London'.

5. 13 March 2017

   Added new data to the epidemiology section.

6. 23 February 2017

   Added Travel-associated Shigella report 2014

7. 13 April 2016

   Added 'Shigella: epidemiology in adults in South East from 2011 to 2015'.

8. 13 April 2016

   Added shigella epidemiology in adults in London from 2011 to 2015.

9. 1 December 2013

   First published.