The Ohio Department of Health says the state has recorded 360 cases of shigellosis this year, led by Franklin County with 118. The CDC warns that drug-resistant Shigella is becoming a growing public-health threat.
According to the Ohio Department of Health disease dashboard, as of October 8 the state has reported 360 shigellosis cases this year, including 10 so far in October. Franklin County leads with 118 cases, followed by Cuyahoga (43), Summit (27), and Hamilton (20). Ohio recorded 395 cases in all of 2025.
Note: an earlier, separate summer 2026 outbreak in Ohio was cyclosporiasis — a parasite linked to contaminated produce, with thousands of cases. That is a different illness and should not be confused with shigellosis.
Shigella bacteria cause shigellosis: diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, nausea, a persistent urge to have a bowel movement; some cases involve bloody diarrhea, while some people are asymptomatic. Most recover in 5 to 7 days without antibiotics. Young children are especially vulnerable, and outbreaks often occur in childcare settings and schools.
Transmission routes include fecal-oral contact, contaminated food or water, and sexual contact. CDC guidance: wash hands; avoid swallowing water while swimming; observe safe food and water habits when traveling; and if you or your partner is diagnosed, avoid sex for at least two weeks after symptoms end.
An April CDC report found extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Shigella rising sharply — 8.5% of samples in 2023, up from zero in 2011. The CDC issued a health advisory in 2023 warning that the XDR strain resists commonly used oral antibiotics.
The US sees an estimated 450,000 Shigella infections a year. Dr. Aaron Glatt, an epidemiologist at Mount Sinai South Nassau, warned that clinicians "will be seeing strains here that are resistant to the commonly used treatments."
Data show more than 68% of Ohio's 2026 cases are males, and about 57% are among white men and women. US data from 2016 to 2023 likewise shows cases concentrated among non-Hispanic white men — a shift from the historical pattern, when shigellosis mostly affected children.
The Ohio Department of Health says strengthened surveillance, timely reporting, and targeted prevention are needed, and advises handwashing, staying home when sick, and seeking medical care if symptoms become severe.