Key Takeaway:
- Kansas reports a seven-year high: The state has recorded 71 shigellosis cases in 2026, with many in the Kansas City metro area and south-central Kansas.
- Shigella spreads through multiple routes: Contaminated food and water, as well as sexual contact, can transmit the bacteria.
- Prevention and early care matter: Wash hands regularly, practice safer sex, and seek medical advice for persistent or bloody diarrhea.
Kansas shigellosis cases have reached 71 in 2026, the state’s highest annual total in seven years, as health officials highlight the contagious bacterial infection that can spread through sexual contact.
Kansas Cases Reach a Seven-Year High
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment reports that 71 people have contracted shigellosis so far this year. The total exceeds the 54 cases recorded in 2025 and the 70 reported in 2024, according to state records cited by KSNT.
Kansas shigellosis cases have fluctuated over the years, with 18 cases in 2020, 56 in 2021, 31 in 2022 and 68 in 2023. The latest count marks the highest figure in the seven years covered by the available data.
Most cases reported in 2026 have occurred in the Kansas City metropolitan area and south-central Kansas, according to the state health department. Sedgwick County, which includes Wichita, has reported nearly 30 cases.
The figures reflect reported infections and do not necessarily capture every person who has contracted the disease. Health officials have not identified a single source responsible for all the Kansas cases in the report.
Shigella Spreads Through Food, Water and Sexual Contact
Shigellosis is an intestinal infection caused by Shigella bacteria. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the bacteria cause about 450,000 infections nationwide each year.
The infection commonly spreads when people consume contaminated food or water or come into contact with an infected person’s stool. Sexual activity can also transmit the bacteria when microscopic amounts of fecal matter enter another person’s mouth.
“Shigella spreads easily,” the CDC says in its public guidance on the infection, noting that swallowing only a small amount of the bacteria can cause illness.
Symptoms typically begin one or two days after exposure and include diarrhea, fever, and stomach pain. Diarrhea may be bloody, and some people experience a persistent urge to pass stool even when their bowels are empty.
Although anyone can contract shigellosis, children younger than 5 are particularly susceptible. Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men also face increased risk, according to the CDC, although transmission can occur during any sexual activity involving exposure to fecal matter.
Health Officials Recommend Hygiene and Early Care
The CDC recommends frequent handwashing with soap and water, particularly after using the bathroom and before preparing food. People should also follow safe food and water practices to reduce the risk of infection.
Sexually active people can lower their risk by washing their hands, genitals, and anal area before and after sexual activity and using barriers during oral and anal sex. The CDC advises people diagnosed with shigellosis to avoid sexual activity until at least two weeks after diarrhea ends.
Most people recover from shigellosis within five to seven days without antibiotics, according to the CDC. Mild cases may require only rest and fluids, while some patients need medical treatment.
Antibiotic resistance can complicate treatment for certain Shigella infections. Health care providers may use laboratory testing to help determine which medicines are appropriate, particularly in severe cases.
People with persistent or bloody diarrhea, fever, or severe abdominal pain should contact a health care provider. Prompt evaluation can help identify the infection, reduce complications such as dehydration, and limit further transmission.
Kansas’ 2026 case count underscores the importance of monitoring a disease that spreads through several routes, not only contaminated food and water. Health officials continue to emphasize hygiene, appropriate medical care, and precautions around sexual contact to help prevent infections.
