Prevalence and Incidence of Shigellosis

About prevalence and incidence statistics: The term 'prevalence' of Shigellosis usually refers to the estimated population of people who are managing Shigellosis at any given time. The term 'incidence' of Shigellosis refers to the annual diagnosis rate, or the number of new cases of Shigellosis diagnosed each year. Hence, these two statistics types can differ: a short-lived disease like flu can have high annual incidence but low prevalence, but a life-long disease like diabetes has a low annual incidence but high prevalence. For more information see about prevalence and incidence statistics.

Incidence (annual) of Shigellosis: 17,521 annual cases of shigellosis notified in USA 1999 (MMWR 1999)
Incidence Rate: approx 1 in 15,524 or 0.01% or 17,521 people in USA [about data]
Prevalance of Shigellosis: Every year, about 18,000 cases of shigellosis are reported in the United States. Because many milder cases are not diagnosed or reported, the actual number of infections may be twenty times greater.¹

Prevelance of Shigellosis discussion: Approximately 14,000 laboratory confirmed cases of shigellosis and an estimated 448,240 total cases (mostly due to S. sonnei) occur in the United States each year. In the developing world, S.flexneri predominates. Epidemics of S. dysenteriae type 1 have occurred in Africa and Central America with case fatality rates of 5-15%.²

Incidence statistics about Shigellosis: The following statistics relate to the incidence of Shigellosis:

3.70 per 100,000 in Canada 2000³
2.5 new cases of shigellosis per 100,000 population was notified in Australia 2002 (Yohannes K, Roche P, Blumer C et al. 2004, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)
496 new cases of shigellosis was notified in Australia 2002 (Yohannes K, Roche P, Blumer C et al. 2004, Australia’s Health 2004, AIHW)

Footnotes:
1. excerpt from Shigellosis (General): DBMD
2. excerpt from Shigellosis: DBMD
3. Notifiable Diseases Online, PPHB, Canada, 2000

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