Highly contagious gastro bug that spreads during sex sparks health alert

Australians are being warned about a nasty new gastro infection which is resistant to antibiotics and can be spread during sex.

Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton warned on Tuesday that ‘increasing antibiotic resistance is being detected in infections caused by Shigella bacteria’.

Shigellosis is a highly contagious type of gastroenteritis that leads to ‘acute onset of diarrhoea, fever, nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps’.

Professor Sutton said the cases were highest among returning travellers and ‘men who have had recent sexual contact with other men.

‘Symptoms usually develop one to three days following exposure but can occur as early as 12 hours to as late as one week afterwards in some cases,’ he added.

‘Antibiotic resistant infections are a serious public health problem because infections are harder to treat.’

Shigellosis is highly infectious, and patients can remain contagious for up to four weeks.

The infection is self-limiting, lasting about five to seven days but complications such as reactive arthritis and sepsis can occur in groups such as immunocompromised people.

Treatment includes fluids, oral rehydration drinks and antibiotics in more serious cases – to which the strains recently appearing are resistant.

Victoria Health said that Local Public Health Units are contact tracing confirmed cases to provide advice and help on ‘symptom monitoring, testing and exclusion requirements.’

Contacts of cases who work in professions such as food handling, aged care, childcare and healthcare should not return to work until advised to do so by the Local Public Health Units. 

‘Practicing safer sex and good hygiene can prevent the spread of shigellosis.’

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