The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a health advisory in response to a sharp increase in gastrointestinal infections caused by a drug-resistant strain of the Shigella bacteria that poses "serious public health concerns."

There are roughly 450,000 infections in the U.S. caused by Shigella annually, though the number of infections caused by strains that are highly resistant to available drugs has risen to 5%, compared to zero reported in 2015, according to the CDC. The drug-resistant XDR strain of Shigella has shown resistance to all commonly-used antibiotics and is easily transmitted, making it difficult for health providers to treat.

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"Given these potentially serious public health concerns, CDC asks healthcare professionals to be vigilant about suspecting and reporting cases of XDR Shigella infection to their local or state health department and educating patients and communities at increased risk about prevention and transmission," the CDC's advisory said.

Who does it typically affect?

Shigella infections, known as shigellosis, typically affect children four years and under, but the CDC has recently seen an increase in antimicrobial-resistant Shigella infections in adults, especially men who have sex with men, homeless individuals, international travelers, and people living with HIV.

Shigellosis can cause abdominal cramping, a fever, tenesmus, and bloody diarrhea. It is typically spread by person-to-person contact, fecal-oral route, and contaminated food and water.

Treatment options

The CDC says it currently has no optimal treatment recommendations for individuals with a drug-resistant Shigella infection, though those with other strains generally recover from shigellosis without any antimicrobial treatment and manage it with oral hydration.

People are encouraged to wash their hands before preparing food or eating, engaging in sexual activity, and after going to the bathroom or changing a diaper to reduce the chances of infection.

How frequent are these types of infections?

The agency has said antimicrobial-resistant infections, which refers to when germs like bacteria and fungi develop the ability to defeat the drugs that are meant to kill them, pose an "urgent health threat." There are roughly 3 million antimicrobial-resistant infections in the U.S. each year, and more than 35,000 people die as a result.

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The rise of drug-resistant bacteria and fungi has been seen globally as well. The United Nations estimated in a recent report that up to 10 million people annually could die by 2050 from an antimicrobial-resistant infection, highlighting how climate change and pollution may have contributed to a rise in drug-resistant infections.