Shigellosis - Annual Epidemiological Report for 2021

Shigellosis is a relatively uncommon disease in the EU/EEA, but remains of concern in some countries and for some population groups.

For 2021, 30 EU/EEA countries reported 2 115 confirmed cases of shigellosis.

The overall notification rate was 0.8 cases per 100 000 population. This is a slight increase compared to 2020, when the lowest ever shigellosis rate was reported, due to the combined effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the absence of UK data following the country’s withdrawal from the EU.

The highest notification rate was observed in children under five years of age and 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.