Shigellosis

SHİGELLA İNFECTİON

Shigella infection (shigellosis) is an intestinal disease caused by a family of bacteria known as shigella. The main sign of shigella infection is diarrhea, which often is bloody.

Shigella can be passed through direct contact with the bacteria in the stool. For example, this can happen in a child care setting when staff members don’t wash their hands well enough after changing diapers or helping toddlers with toilet training. Shigella bacteria also can be passed in contaminated food or by drinking or swimming in contaminated water.

Children between the ages of 2 and 4 are most likely to get shigella infection. A mild case usually clears up on its own within a week. When treatment is needed, doctors generally prescribe antibiotics.

SYMPTOMS

Signs and symptoms of shigella infection usually begin a day or two after contact with shigella, but may take up to a week to develop. Signs and symptoms may include:

Diarrhea (often containing blood or mucus)
Abdominal pain or cramps
Fever

Although some people have no symptoms after they’ve been infected with shigella, their feces may still be contagious up to a few weeks.

CAUSES

Infection occurs when you accidentally swallow shigella bacteria. This can happen when you:

Touch your mouth.If you don’t wash your hands well after changing the diaper of a child who has shigella infection, you may become infected yourself. Direct person-to-person contact is the most common way the disease is spread.
Eat contaminated food.Infected people who handle food can transmit the bacteria to people who eat the food. Food can also become contaminated if it grows in a field that contains sewage.
Swallow contaminated water.Water may become contaminated either from sewage or from a person with shigella infection swimming in it.

RİSK FACTORS

Being a toddler.Shigella infection is most common in children between the ages of 2 and 4.
Living in group housing or participating in group activities.Close contact with other people spreads the bacteria from person to person. Shigella outbreaks are more common in child care centers, community wading pools, nursing homes, jails and military barracks.
Living or traveling in areas that lack sanitation.People who live or travel in developing countries are more likely to contract shigella infection.

COMPLİCATİONS

Dehydration
Seizures
Rectal prolpase
Hemolytic uremic syndrome
Reactive arthrits

DİAGNOSİS

Diarrhea and bloody diarrhea can result from a number of diseases. Confirming shigellosis involves taking a sample of your stool to be tested in a laboratory for the presence of shigella bacteria or their toxins.

TREATMENT

Shigella infection usually runs its course in five to seven days. Replacing lost fluids from diarrhea may be all the treatment you need, particularly if your general health is good and your shigella infection is mild.

Avoid drugs intended to treat diarrhea, such as loperamide (Imodium) or atropine (Lomotil), because they can make your condition worse.

Antibiotics may also be necessary for infants, older adults and people who have HIV infection, as well as in situations where there’s a high risk of spreading the disease.

PREVENTİON

Although the World Health Organization has been working on a shigella vaccine, nothing is available yet. To prevent the spread of shigella: