Ebola was a bust.
Monkey pox was a bust.
Hanta virus evaporated like a fart in a hurrican.
Now, in time for the elections, we have SUPER DIARRHEA!
https://nypost.com/2026/10/08/health/sexually-transmitted-diarrhea-is-morphing-into-a-superbug/
You don't have to be a pioneer on the Oregon Trail to catch the bug that causes dysentery.
Nowadays, the infection is spreading more through sex and evolving into something that's "close to untreatable," one expert said.
The bacteria spreads through infected poop that gets into the mouth because of ill-washed hands, or swallowing tainted food or water. A minuscule amount as few as 10 organisms is enough to get you sick.
But the population that's experiencing one of the fastest rises in shigella infection are gay and bisexual men, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). Experts say shigella is "endemic" to these communities, meaning it's constant and regularly present.
Emerging evidence suggests that sex may even be the major route of transmission now, but it's hard to tell when it's not asked about when patients show up for medical care.
Experts say many people don't realize Shigella can spread through sex and that lack of awareness may be fueling infections.
"This isn't just one form of sexually transmissible diarrhea," Baker told Science Alert.
"This is multiple overlapping variants emerging that are all quickly becoming resistant to the drugs we use to treat them. It's highly likely that if you contracted your Shigella through sex, you require different treatment to someone who contracted it through travel."
Monkey pox was a bust.
Hanta virus evaporated like a fart in a hurrican.
Now, in time for the elections, we have SUPER DIARRHEA!
https://nypost.com/2026/10/08/health/sexually-transmitted-diarrhea-is-morphing-into-a-superbug/
You don't have to be a pioneer on the Oregon Trail to catch the bug that causes dysentery.
Nowadays, the infection is spreading more through sex and evolving into something that's "close to untreatable," one expert said.
The bacteria spreads through infected poop that gets into the mouth because of ill-washed hands, or swallowing tainted food or water. A minuscule amount as few as 10 organisms is enough to get you sick.
But the population that's experiencing one of the fastest rises in shigella infection are gay and bisexual men, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). Experts say shigella is "endemic" to these communities, meaning it's constant and regularly present.
Emerging evidence suggests that sex may even be the major route of transmission now, but it's hard to tell when it's not asked about when patients show up for medical care.
Experts say many people don't realize Shigella can spread through sex and that lack of awareness may be fueling infections.
"This isn't just one form of sexually transmissible diarrhea," Baker told Science Alert.
"This is multiple overlapping variants emerging that are all quickly becoming resistant to the drugs we use to treat them. It's highly likely that if you contracted your Shigella through sex, you require different treatment to someone who contracted it through travel."
