On Friday 17 February, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported an increased number of cases of shigellosis, a gastrointestinal disease caused by the Shigella bacteria, in the European Union among people who had recently travelled to Cape Verde. The strain of this outbreak appears to be Shigella sonnei, one of four species of Shigella bacteria.
The ECDC reports that this outbreak evolved rapidly in November and December 2022.
The Centre reports that as of 16 February 2023, a total of 221 confirmed cases of Shigella sonnei infection and 37 possible cases have been reported from ten countries in the European Union and the European Economic Area, as well as the United Kingdom and the United States.
All these cases are linked to travel to Cape Verde.
Investigations are underway in Cape Verde to identify possible means of infection or common exposure.
The ECDC is in regular contact with the Cape Verdean authorities to support the investigations, in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s European office (WHO Europe).
The ECDC issues a reminder about hygiene practices and encourages public health authorities in the EU/EEA to raise awareness among health professionals of the possibility of Shigella sonnei infections in people who have recently travelled to Cape Verde.
Read the ECDC risk assessment: https://aeur.eu/f/5du (Original version in French by Emilie Vanderhulst)