Shigellosis - Annual Epidemiological Report for 2017

Shigellosis is a relatively uncommon disease in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA), but remains of concern in some countries and for some population groups. For 2017, 30 EU/EEA countries reported 6 337 confirmed shigellosis cases. The overall notification rate was 1.7 cases per 100 000 population, slightly higher than in 2016. The highest notification rate was observed in children below five years of age, followed by male adults aged 25–44 years. Sexual transmission of shigellosis among men who have sex with men (MSM) is thought to have contributed to the gender imbalance in the latter group.