--- title: Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria date: 2023-04-04T15:29:00-07:00 author: admin canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/shigella/antimicrobial-resistance-in-bacteria-shigella" section: Resource Library --- [Foodborne Illnesses](/foodborne-illnesses) / [Shigella](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/shigella) / # Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria ### Some bacteria have become resistant to antimicrobial drugs and are antibiotic-resistant. Antimicrobial resistance in bacteria is an emerging and increasing threat to human health. Physicians are increasingly aware that antimicrobial resistance is increasing in foodborne pathogens and that, as a result, patients who are prescribed antibiotics are at increased risk for acquiring antimicrobial-resistant foodborne infections. Indeed, increased frequency of treatment failures for acute illness and increased severity of infection may be manifested by prolonged duration of illness, increased frequency of bloodstream infections, increased hospitalization, or increased mortality. ![](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/aboutshigellacom-images/outbreaks/image9.jpeg) ![](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/aboutshigellacom-images/outbreaks/image10.jpeg)It has been estimated that 36% to 70% of all antibiotics produced in the United States are used in food animal feed or in prophylactic treatment to prevent animal disease. A recent report by the FDA revealed that approximately 25 million pounds of antimicrobials were sold or distributed for use in food-producing animals in 2018. The overall amount sold has decreased by 8% over the past 10 years, but during that time, there has also been an increase in the amount of antibiotics used for therapeutic (not medically necessary) purposes. In 2002, the Minnesota Medical Association published an article by David Wallinga, M.D., M.P.H., who wrote: > According to the \[Union of Concerned Scientists\], 70 percent of all the antimicrobials used in the United States for all purposes—or about 24.6 million pounds annually—are fed to poultry, swine, and beef cattle for nontherapeutic purposes, in the absence of disease. Over half are “medically important” antimicrobials; identical or so closely related to human medicines that resistance to the animal drug can confer resistance to the similar human drug. Penicillin, tetracycline, macrolides, streptogramins, and sulfonamides are prominent examples. Based on recent research, it is now recommended that doctors avoid the use of commonly prescribed antibiotics, like tetracycline and ampicillin, in favor of drugs for which *Shigella* has not shown resistance, such as ciprofloxacin. European countries have reduced the use of antibiotics in animal feed and have seen a corresponding reduction in antibiotic-resistant illnesses in humans. ### More information about Shigella [February 26, 2020 ###### Mariscos San Juan Restaurant Shigella Outbreak and Litigation - California (2015) According to a Public Health Warning, on Saturday afternoon, October 17, 2015, the Santa Clara County Public Health Department was notified by a local hospital of 5 patients with fever ... ](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/mariscos-san-juan-restaurant-shigella-outbreak-and-litigation-california-2015) [February 11, 2018 ###### Pearl Catering Shigella Outbreak Lawsuits - Oregon (2018) On August 14, 2018 the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and Yamhill County Health and Human Services received reports of multiple people with gastrointestinal illness days after attending a wedding and ... ](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/pearl-catering-shigella-outbreak-and-litigation-oregon-2018) [November 05, 2014 ###### Salsarita Shigella Outbreak Lawsuit – Arkansas (2014) Salsarita’s Restaurant in the Walmart Home Office Café in Bentonville has reopened following a Shigella outbreak that made 275 sick in nine states. ... ](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/salsarita-shigella-outbreak-lawsuit-arkansas-2014) [March 08, 2010 ###### Subway Restaurant Shigella Outbreak Lawsuits - Illinois (2010) At least 116 people were confirmed ill with Shigella infections traced to a Subway restaurant in Lombard, IL in March of 2010. Marler Clark represented 74 people sickened in this ... ](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/subway-restaurant-shigella-outbreak-chicago) [1. View all ](/news_events/outbreaks?illness=shigella&year=all) ## All Shigella Resources [###### Shigella Food Poisoning ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/shigella/about-shigella) [###### The Incidence of Shigella Infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/shigella/shigella-incidence) [###### The Prevalence of Shigella in Food and Elsewhere ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/shigella/shigella-prevalence) [###### How is Shigella Infection Spread? ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/shigella/shigella-transmission) [###### Symptoms of Shigella Infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/shigella/shigella-symptoms-risks) [###### Complications of Shigella Infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/shigella/shigella-complications) [###### How is Shigellosis Diagnosed? ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/shigella/shigella-diagnosis) [###### Treatment for Shigella Infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/shigella/shigella-treatment) [###### The Economic Impact of Shigella Infections ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/shigella/shigella-economic-impact) [###### How to Prevent Shigella Infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/shigella/shigella-prevention) [###### Outbreaks of Shigella Infection ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/shigella/shigella-outbreaks) [###### Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/shigella/antimicrobial-resistance-in-bacteria-shigella) [###### Shigella References ](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/shigella/shigella-references) ### Other foodborne illnesses [E. coli](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/e-coli) [Salmonella](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/salmonella) [Listeria](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria) [Hepatitis A](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/hepatitis-a) [Reactive Arthritis](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/reactive-arthritis) [Guillain-Barre Syndrome](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/guillain-barre-syndrome) [Irritable Bowel Syndrome](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/irritable-bowel-syndrome) [Norovirus](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/norovirus) [Botulism](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/botulism) [Campylobacter](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/campylobacter) [Cyclospora](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/cyclospora) [Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/hemolytic-uremic-syndrome)