Shigellosis cases have increased among travellers returning from Cape Verde in Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States since September 2022. More than 250 Shigella infections were reported in 12 countries. The United Kingdom has the most cases (95), followed by the Netherlands (47), Sweden (42), and France (31). There are four patients from the US. 221 Shigella sonnei infections have been confirmed in 12 countries, and an additional 37 cases may have been linked to Cape Verde. Health officials reported that a genetically compact cluster in 106 human isolates from the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States suggests a common source.

One of the American cases claimed to have travelled to Cape Verde; the other patients’ travel histories are unknown. Three females and one male, ranging in age from 3 to 88, are sick. A lot of sick people stayed in five-star hotels in the Santa Maria region of Sal.  In Portugal, two cases required hospitalisation. Patients have reported co-infections with Shigella and other bacterial and parasitic pathogens like Salmonella Mbandaka, Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, and E. coli strains.

The outbreak-related Shigella sonnei strain is resistant to trimethoprim and streptomycin, but in some cases, multidrug resistance has also been identified. According to ECDC, the discovery of a gene for resistance to hydrogen peroxide suggests that Shigella sonnei isolates have been regularly exposed to this disinfectant. People with confirmed Shigella infection are now being addressed by Holiday Claims Bureau and Hudgell Solicitors in the UK, and more than 500 people have asked Irwin Mitchell lawyers to investigate illnesses linked to trips to Cape Verde.

In order to support investigations into the sources of infection and to raise awareness among healthcare professionals in the nation, ECDC and the European office of the World Health Organization (WHO) have been in touch with the authorities in Cape Verde. To discuss the epidemiological situation based on cases reported in 2022, two meetings with representatives from Cape Verde and the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) were held in January.

Shigella Infection:

Shigellosis is caused by Shigella sonnei. The symptoms include fever, stomach cramps, diarrhoea. Shigellosis is contracted through oral contact with contaminated food, water, or objects that have come into contact with faeces and direct person-to-person contact. It’s important to wash your hands with soap and water, especially after using the restroom and before preparing or eating food. There is no vaccine to protect against Shigella infection. Shigellosis patients should avoid working with children or patients, attending school, and handling food while ill.