ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Twelve cases of a highly contagious intestinal infection were reported in Buncombe County during the first nine months of 2026, as federal health officials warn that some strains of the bacteria responsible for the illness are becoming increasingly difficult to treat.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified drug-resistant Shigella as a serious public health threat in its latest Antimicrobial Resistance Threats Report, released in October.
Shigella is a type of bacteria that causes an intestinal infection called shigellosis. The illness can cause diarrhea, sometimes bloody, along with fever and stomach cramps. It spreads easily, and it takes only a tiny amount of the bacteria to make someone sick…