Ongoing outbreak of Shigella flexneri serotype 3a in men who have sex with men in England and Wales, data from 2009–2011

M L Borg; A Modi; A Tostmann; M Gobin; J Cartwright; C Quigley; P D Crook; N Boxall; J Paul; T Cheasty; N Gill; G Hughes; I Simms; I Oliver

doi:10.2807/ese.17.13.20137-en

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Ongoing outbreak of Shigella flexneri serotype 3a in men who have sex with men in England and Wales, data from 2009–2011
M L Borg^1,2 , A Modi³ , A Tostmann¹ , M Gobin¹ , J Cartwright³ , C Quigley³ , P D Crook⁴ , N Boxall⁴ , J Paul⁴ , T Cheasty⁵ , N Gill⁶ , G Hughes⁶ , I Simms⁶ , I Oliver^1,7
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Affiliations: ¹ Health Protection Agency, South West Region, United Kingdom ² European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Stockholm, Sweden ³ Health Protection Agency, North West Region, United Kingdom ⁴ Health Protection Agency, South East Region, United Kingdom ⁵ Gastro-Intestinal Infections Reference Unit, Health Protection Agency - Colindale, London, United Kingdom ⁶ HIV & STI Department, Health Protection Agency - Colindale, London, United Kingdom ⁷ University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom

Correspondence:
M Borg
maria.borg hpa.org.uk
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Citation style for this article: Borg M L, Modi A, Tostmann A, Gobin M, Cartwright J, Quigley C, Crook P D, Boxall N, Paul J, Cheasty T, Gill N, Hughes G, Simms I, Oliver I. Ongoing outbreak of Shigella flexneri serotype 3a in men who have sex with men in England and Wales, data from 2009–2011. Euro Surveill. 2012;17(13):pii=20137. https://doi.org/10.2807/ese.17.13.20137-en Received: 15 Mar 2012

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Abstract

Diagnoses of Shigella flexneri in the United Kingdom (UK) are usually travel-related. However, since 2009, there has been an overall increase in UK-acquired cases. The Health Protection Agency has been investigating a national outbreak of S. flexneri detected in 2011 and which is still ongoing. Cases occurred mostly in men who have sex with men and were of serotype 3a. The investigation aimed at obtaining epidemiological data to inform targeted outbreak management and control.