Skip directly to site content Skip directly to search
Español | Other Languages
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC twenty four seven. Saving Lives, Protecting People
Shigella – Shigellosis
    CDC Home

    Shigella – Shigellosis

    Español (Spanish) | Print
    Minus
    Related Pages
    Men who have sex with men

    Did you know
    the diarrhea
    germ Shigella
    can be spread
    through sex?

    Learn more

    Shigella bacteria cause an infection called shigellosis. Shigella can spread easily from one person to another—and it only takes a small amount of Shigella to cause illness. Learn how Shigella spreads and why some people have a greater chance of getting sick.

    General Information
    Drug-resistant Shigella

    Find answers to frequently asked questions about Shigella.

    Symptoms
    woman doubled over holding her stomach in pain

    Shigellosis can have mild to severe symptoms.

    Prevention
    rubbing soap-sudsed hands together

    Find out steps you can take to avoid getting sick.

    Information for Specific Groups
    A person wearing a backpack and hoodie.

    Learn about people at higher risk for infection and more information.

    Diagnosis & Treatment
    Sources of Infection & Risk Factors
    Communication Resources
    Publications, Data & Statistics
    More Information
    • Antimicrobial Resistance and Shigella
    • National Surveillance
    • Prevention and Control Toolkit
    • Newsroom
    Healthy Water Sites

    Drinking Water

    Healthy Swimming

    Global WASH

    Other Uses of Water

    WASH-related Emergencies & Outbreaks

    Last Reviewed: February 24, 2023
    Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases (DFWED)
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • Syndicate
    homeShigella
    • Questions & Answers
    • Symptoms
    • Diagnosis & Treatmentplus icon
      • Antimicrobial Resistance
    • Sources of Infection and Risk Factors
    • Prevent Shigella Infection
    • Information for Specific Groupsplus icon
      • Sexually Active People
      • Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM)
      • Parents of Young Children
      • Childcare Facilities
      • People Experiencing Homelessness
      • International Travelers
      • Food Service Workers and Managers
      • Healthcare Professionals
      • Public Health Professionalsplus icon
        • Shigella Prevention and Control Toolkit
    • Publications, Data, & Statistics
    • Surveillance
    • Health Promotion Materialsplus icon
      • Infographics
      • Posters
      • Fact Sheetsplus icon
        • Do You Have Diarrhea?
        • Are You or Your Partner Sick with Diarrhea?
        • Does Your Child Have Diarrhea?
      • Palm Cards
      • Social Media Library
    • Newsroom
    • About CDC
    • Contact Us
    • 800-232-4636
    Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn Youtube Pinterest Snapchat
    CONTACT CDC
    Contact Us
    Call 800-232-4636
    Email Us
    ABOUT CDC
    • About CDC
    • Jobs
    • Funding
    POLICIES
    • Accessibility
    • External Links
    • Privacy
    • Policies
    • No Fear Act
    • FOIA
    • OIG
    • Nondiscrimination
    • Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
    CONNECT WITH US
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Youtube
    • Pinterest
    • Snapchat
    • Email
    LANGUAGES
    • Español
    • 繁體中文
    • Tiếng Việt
    • 한국어
    • Tagalog
    • Русский
    • العربية
    • Kreyòl Ayisyen
    • Français
    • Polski
    • Português
    • Italiano
    • Deutsch
    • 日本語
    • فارسی
    • English
    • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
    • Accessibility
    • External Links
    • Privacy
    • Policies
    • No Fear Act
    • FOIA
    • Nondiscrimination
    • OIG
    • Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
    • USA.gov
    SAS stats

    Exit Notification / Disclaimer Policy

    Links with this icon indicate that you are leaving the CDC website.
    • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
    • Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
    • You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.
    • CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website.
    For more information on CDC's web notification policies, see Website Disclaimers.
    CDC.gov Privacy Settings

    We take your privacy seriously. You can review and change the way we collect information below.

    These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.

    Cookies used to make website functionality more relevant to you. These cookies perform functions like remembering presentation options or choices and, in some cases, delivery of web content that based on self-identified area of interests.

    Cookies used to track the effectiveness of CDC public health campaigns through clickthrough data.

    Cookies used to enable you to share pages and content that you find interesting on CDC.gov through third party social networking and other websites. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties.

    Remove all
    Confirmed!

    Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. If you need to go back and make any changes, you can always do so by going to our Privacy Policy page.

    Close