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Shigella (Shigella dysenteriae) is an infection of the intestines. The main sign of shigella is bloody diarrhea. It is highly contagious, and being exposed to even a small amount can cause contamination. Be cautious if you are traveling to areas were sanitation is not at its highest. Sanitation is the number one way to help prevent an infection/disease. Down below is a microscopic picture of Shigella.

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Shigella, the Enterobacteriaceae family, are gram-negative rod-shaped pathogenic bacteria. They are non-motile, non-encapsulated, and they do not ferment lactose. There are four different species of shigella, and they all vary in genetic structure. They are called S. sonnei, S. flexneri, S. boydii  and S. dysenteriae.

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Children between the ages  2 and 4, elders, and pregnant woman are most likely to get Shigella infection. Ultimately anyone can become infected, especially those living close to a sewer. If a mild case occurs, it will usually clear up on its own within a week. If treatment is needed, doctors normally prescribe antibiotics.

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How do you become infected with Shigella?

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How do you become infected with Shigella?

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Direct person-to-person contact is the common way the disease is spread. Shigella is passed through direct contact with the bacteria in the stool. Such as, when staff members of a day care do not wash their hands properly after changing diapers, or toilet training toddlers. Also, Shigella bacteria can be passed by contaminated food, and even just swimming in contaminated water. Below the text is a picture of how well that person wash their hands. They still have bacteria, such as Shigella, all over their hands.

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Signs and symptoms the infection usually begin a day or two after the person came into contact with shigella, but some cases have taken up to a week to develop. The signs and symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain and/or cramps, and fever. Some people may not have any symptoms after they have been infected with shigella, but their feces may still be contagious up to a few weeks.

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Although the World Health Organization has been working on a shigella vaccine, it is not available. To prevent the spread of shigella you can follow these steps:

Wash hands frequently and thoroughly.

Supervise small children when they wash their hands.

Dispose of soiled diapers properly and wash hands after.

Disinfect diaper-changing areas after each use.

Do not prepare food for others if you have diarrhea.

Keep children home if they are experiencing diarrhea.

Avoid swallowing water from ponds, lakes or untreated pools.

Avoid sexual activity with anyone who has diarrhea or who recently recovered from diarrhea.

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The infection usually clears up without complications, although it may take weeks or longer before your bowel habits return to normal. Dehydration can occur due abnormal bowel movements. Some children running high fevers with a shigella infection have seizures. It is not known whether the seizures are a result of the fever, or the shigella infection. Hemolytic uremic syndrome is a rare complication of Shigella. It can lead to a low red blood cell count, low platelet count, and acute kidney failure. Toxic mega-colon also is a rare complication that occurs when your colon becomes paralyzed. On the bottom, the first image is a picture of an inflated stomach due to toxic mega-colon. The other two are intestines that has had build up of feces and gas.

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Confirming shigella involves taking a sample of that persons stool to be tested for shigella bacteria or their toxins. Replacing lost fluids due to diarrhea may be the only treatment needed if the case was not sever. For severe shigella infection, antibiotics may shorten the illness. However, some shigella bacteria have become drug resistant. If the patient is an infant or someone who has an immunodeficiency, then antibiotics will be prescribed. Although, majority of the time, Shigella will first be treated by intravenous therapy.

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Shigella bacteria were first discovered in 1897 by a Japanese Scientist named Kiyoshi Shiga. Over 90,000 cases of shigella was occurring in Japan. Shiga originally named the disease Bacillus dysenterie, but later it was renamed in 1930 in order to pay respect to Dr. Shiga. Due to its infectiousness and antibiotic resistance, shigella has been studied for use as a biological weapon, and was used during World War II. The Japanese experimented with shigella on the prisoners of war. Below is Mr. Kiyoshi Shiga.

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Humans intestinal tract are the natural host of Shigella infections. Non-human primates, such as rhesus macaque monkeys, are the only animals in which shigella cause disease. Shigella can be found in other warm blooded animals, such as dogs and cats. So, if your dog makes a no no, make sure to wear gloves and wash your hands thoroughly. The picture on the bottom is a rhesus macaque monkey that throws its Shigella infected feces.