A drug-resistant strain of bacteria that leads to diarrhea is spreading throughout the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, WebMD reported.
The CDC reported that tourists are bringing multidrug-resistant Shigella sonnei bacteria to the U.S. and passing it to others.
The antibiotic-resistant bacteria causes 500,000 cases of diarrhea in the U.S. each year. It passes from individual to individual and through contaminated water and food. The bacteria, which is resistant to the antibiotic ciprofloxacin, can cause malaise, fever, abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea.
The CDC report said that Shigella sonnei can spread quickly among bisexual men, homeless people and children in child care facilities. Between May 2014 and February 2015, about 243 people in 32 states and Puerto Rico were infected by the antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Most Shigella is immune to the antibiotics trimethoprim and ampicillin in the U.S. However, Shigella resistance to Cipro is increasing worldwide.
To stop the spread of shigellosis, people should frequently wash their hands with soap and water, particularly before meals or preparing food and after toilet use. Children who are ill with diarrhea should be kept from child care centers and other group activities. People who are sick with diarrhea should avoid making food for others and avoid swimming for a few weeks after recovering.
Travelers should choose safe beverages and foods and drink from sealed containers. They should frequently wash their hands, especially after toilet use and before eating. Travelers should take bismuth subsalicylate to prevent travelers' diarrhea and reserve antibiotics for serious cases of travelers' diarrhea, according to CDC.