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. 1988 Nov;78(11):1432–1435. doi: 10.2105/ajph.78.11.1432

The persistence of Shigella flexneri in the United States: increasing role of adult males.

R V Tauxe 1, R C McDonald 1, N Hargrett-Bean 1, P A Blake 1
PMCID: PMC1350234  PMID: 3052115

Abstract

The annual reported isolation rate of Shigella flexneri decreased from 1964 to 1973, but has remained constant since then at 1 per 100,000. Between 1975 and 1985, the median age of males from whom S. flexneri was isolated rose from 5 to 26 years. During this time, the isolation rate of S. flexneri rose more than five-fold among men, did not change in adult women, and decreased in children. By 1985, 23 per cent of reported S. flexneri isolates came from men aged 20-49. Increased male homosexual transmission of S. flexneri is a possible explanation for these findings.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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