Shigella sonnei: epidemiology, evolution, pathogenesis, resistance and host interactions

Shigella sonnei is a major cause of diarrhoea globally and is increasing in prevalence relative to other Shigella because of multiple demographic and environmental influences. This

single-serotype species has traditionally received less attention in comparison to Shigella flexneri and Shigella dysenteriae, which were more common in low-income countries and more

tractable in the laboratory. In recent years, we have learned that Shigella are highly complex and highly susceptible to environmental change, as exemplified by epidemiological trends and

increasing relevance of S. sonnei. Ultimately, methods, tools and data generated from decades of detailed research into S. flexneri have been used to gain new insights into the epidemiology,

microbiology and pathogenesis of S. sonnei. In parallel, widespread adoption of genomic surveillance has yielded insights into antimicrobial resistance, evolution and organism transmission.

In this Review, we provide an overview of current knowledge of S. sonnei, highlighting recent insights into this globally disseminated antimicrobial-resistant pathogen and assessing how

novel data may impact future vaccine development and implementation.

T.A.S. and K.S.B. researched data for article. T.A.S., K.S.B., C.T., S.M. and J.H. substantially contributed to the discussion of content. T.A.S., K.S.B., C.T., S.M. and H.S. wrote the

article. T.A.S., K.S.B., C.T., C.J., S.M., J.H., H.S., K.E.H., N.R.T. and S.B. reviewed and edited the manuscript before submission.

Nature Reviews Microbiology thanks Benoit Marteyn and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

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