Multidrug-resistant bacterial illness spreading in U.S.

International travelers are bringing a multidrug-resistant intestinal illness to the United States, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Shigella sonnei bacteria sickened 243 people in 32 states and Puerto Rico between May 2014 and February 2015 as ill travelers returned to the U.S. and infected others. Nearly 90% of the cases tested were resistant to ciprofloxacin (Cipro), the first choice to treat shigellosis in U.S. adults. “Drug-resistant infections are harder to treat and because Shigella spreads so easily between people, the potential for more – and larger – outbreaks is a real concern,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D. Health care providers should test stool samples from patients with symptoms consistent with shigellosis, re-test stool if patients do not improve after taking antibiotics, and test bacteria for antibiotic resistance, the agency said.