Purpose
The information in this toolkit is intended to help state and local health departments respond to suspected or confirmed cases, clusters, or outbreaks of Shigella infection (shigellosis).
Overview
Shigellosis is a highly contagious diarrheal disease caused by a group of bacteria called Shigella. Outbreaks of Shigella infection can occur from environmental, food, water, or person-to-person exposure. Anyone can get sick from Shigella infection. However, groups that may be at particular risk include children, travelers, men who have sex with men*, and people with weakened immune systems. Shigella bacteria have increasing rates of antimicrobial resistance both in the United States and globally.
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What's included
The materials in this toolkit include information on:
- Data collection
- Responding to an outbreak of Shigella infection
- Sanitation, hygiene, and cleaning
- Fact sheets, palm cards, and letter templates to aid communications with the public, including materials specific to key populations
Resources
- CDC handwashing website (English and Spanish)
- Handwashing health promotion materials (posters, fact sheets, social media, videos)
- Handwashing trainings and educational resources
- *The term “men who have sex with men” is used in CDC surveillance systems because it indicates men who engage in behaviors that may transmit Shigella infection, rather than how someone identifies their sexuality.