Shigellosis - Symptoms & Treatment

Shigellosis is an infection of the colon. It is also called bacillary( dysentery) because it can cause severe diarrhea. Most cases are seen in the summer and early fall and occur as single cases or outbreaks. Shigella bacteria can affect other parts of the body far from the digestive tract. When this happens, there can be seizures, confusion or coma, kidney failure, arthritis, rashes or other symptoms. Shigella is a major cause of dysentery throughout the world and is responsible for 5 to 10% of diarrheal illnesses in many areas. The bacteria appear in the stool of infected people and are usually spread by person-to-person contact. Shigella can be found in water polluted with infected sewage. Bacteria commonly enter the body through a contaminated drinking supply. Shigella bacteria can reach the mouth on dirty fingers that have touched items soiled with feces, including dirty diapers, toilets and bathroom fixtures. Shigellosis are most common in areas where sanitation is poor, and in places where people live under confined or crowded conditions. Shigella also can be passed from person to person during anal-oral sex.

Shigellosis occurs worldwide, and it tends to occur whenever war, natural calamities. Flies can breed in infected feces and then contaminate food. Shigella infections can also be acquired by drinking or swimming in contaminated water. Bacteremia occurs primarily in malnourished children and carries a mortality rate of 20% as a result of renal failure, hemolysis, thrombocytopenia, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and shock. Shigella boydii and Shigella dysenteriae occur more commonly internationally. In impoverished countries, Shigella flexneri and S dysenteriae cause more than 600,000 deaths per year. Hemolytic uremic syndrome may complicate infections with Shigella species and Escherichia coli, and it carries a mortality rate greater than 50%. Hemolytic uremic syndrome is characterized by acute hemolysis, renal failure, uremia, and disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Causes of Shigellosis

Common causes of Shigellosis

• Shigella sonnei
• Shigella flexneri
• S dysenteriae

Symptoms of Shigellosis

Common Symptoms of Shigellosis

• Abdominal discomfort
• Dysentery.
• Cramps.
• Diarrhea.
• Fever.
• Vomiting.
• Mucus in stools
• Tenesmus.
• Mucosal ulceration.
• Rectal bleeding.
• Dehydration.

Treatment of Shigellosis

Common Treatment of Shigellosis

• Treat high fever in children.
• Avoid narcotic-related antidiarrheals.
• Antibiotic treatment is indicated in most patients.
• Avoid using any antidiarrheal medications because they can make the infection worse.
• Respond to common antibiotics such as ampicillin (Polycillin, Totacillin, Omnipen), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra and other brand names), tetracycline (sold under many brand names), or ciprofloxacin (Cipro).
• Antidiarrheal drugs (such as diphenoxylate loperamide) may prolong the infection and should not be used.

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