The Los Angeles Times reported on the discovery of a strain of extensively drug-resistant Shigella sonnei that has infected three men within the city. Research led by a team at UCLA showed that the strain was resistant to numerous classes of antibiotics, including cephalosporins.
"The discovery of any extensively antibiotic-resistant bacteria is alarming, especially in cities like Los Angeles," AMR Action Fund CEO Henry Skinner told the LA Times.
He added, "The bacterium detailed in this report is resistant to some of our most widely used antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin and azithromycin - medicines that tens of thousands of patients depend on daily. With so few new antibiotics in development, it's very concerning to learn that an XDR strain of Shigella may be gaining a foothold in the U.S."
Read the Los Angeles Times coverage here.
