Shigella is a genus of bacteria that is Gram negative, facultatively anaerobic, non–spore-forming, nonmotile, rod shaped, and is genetically nested within Escherichia coli. The genus is named after Kiyoshi Shiga, who discovered it in 1897. Shigella causes disease in primates, but not in other mammals; it is the causative agent of human shigellosis. It is only naturally found in humans and gorillas. During infection, it typically causes dysentery. Shigella is a leading cause of bacterial diarrhea worldwide, with 80–165 million annual cases (estimated) and 74,000 to 600,000 deaths. It is one of the top four pathogens that cause moderate-to-severe diarrhea in African and South Asian children.

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