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Review
. 2025 Oct 4;406(10511):1508-1519.
doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)01033-5. Epub 2025 Sep 4.

Shigellosis

Jennifer Hendrick  1 , Rubhana Raqib  2 , Zannatun Noor  3 , A S G Faruque  2 , Rashidul Haque  3 , William A Petri  4
Affiliations
Review

Shigellosis

Jennifer Hendrick et al. Lancet. .

Abstract

Shigella is a Gram-negative, facultative intracellular, gastric acid-resistant bacterium of the Enterobacteriaceae family, which includes four serogroups: Shigella dysenteriae, Shigella sonnei, Shigella flexneri, and Shigella boydii. Globally, shigellosis is the most common cause of invasive bloody diarrhoea in children younger than 5 years. Humans are the only natural reservoir and an inoculum of only 10-100 organisms is required for infection. Rising antibiotic resistance rates increasingly reduce the ability to adequately treat severe disease. The prevention of infection with vaccination and sanitation strategies remains a crucial step in reducing worldwide morbidity and mortality.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interests JH was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (UL1TR003015/KL2TR003016) and is currently supported by a Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23) from the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (K23AI187708). RR, ZN, ASGF, RH, and WAP declare no competing interests. Editorial note: The Lancet Group takes a neutral position with respect to territorial claims in published maps.

Figures

Figure:
Figure:. The immunopathogenesis of Shigella infection in the colon
MAMPs=microbe-associated molecular patterns. DAMPs=damage-associated molecular patterns. NK=natural killer. Adapted from Schnupf and Sansonetti.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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