The CDC said clinicians should educate those most at risk for infection.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a health advisory on Friday about an increase in the antibiotic-resistant bacteria called Shigella.
According to the CDC, Shigella is highly contagious, causing about 450,000 infections in the US each year.
Shigella is transmitted by changing a sick baby’s diaper, getting the bacteria on your hands and then touching your mouth, through sexual contact and through contaminated food and water, the CDC said in its advisory.
Usually people recover without treatment, but those with severe cases or with underlying conditions that weaken the immune system may need to be treated with antibiotics.
According to the CDC, antimicrobial treatment options are limited to medical personnel treating patients with XDR strains of Shigella.
Last year, 5% of Shigella infections reported to the CDC were caused by the XDR strain of the bacteria. In 2015, no infections were reported to the GGD.
The agency has asked health care professionals to be alert to suspecting and reporting cases of the XDR variant of Shigella to local and state health departments “given these potentially serious public health concerns.”
The CDC said healthcare workers should also educate their patients and communities most at risk of infection about prevention and how it is spread.
According to the CDC, those most at risk from the antimicrobial-resistant version of Shigella are primarily men who sleep with men, people who are homeless, international travelers, and people living with HIV.
Sasha Pezenik of ABC News contributed to this report.