Shigellosis

Keeping with the topic of water related diseases I thought we'd continue with the list of top 5 drinking water outbreaks and briefly talk about number 2 on the list Shigellosis.


Shigellosis is an intestinal infectious disease caused by a group of bacteria called Shigella.  Humans are the only natural hosts however Shigellosis has been diagnosed in monkeys.  According to the CDC there are approximately 14,000 reported cases in the US every year.  

How do you get it?

•  Ingestion of feces-contaminated water, vegetables or dairy products

Clinical Features

• It is most often seen in pre-school age children in nurseries and daycare.  Not to gross you out but remember transmission is fecal-oral.
• Symptoms typically include bloody diarrhea (secondary to ulceration of the colon wall), fever, nausea and stomach cramps. 
• Mild cases usually resolve within 5 to 7 days without treatment.  However, severe infections can occur in children under the age of 2 years old.

 Prevention

• Strict hygiene is the key - frequent and correct hand washing!  It's very important to teach pre-school age children good hygiene habits.  Try to make hand washing fun by singing a song so he/she knows just how long to wash.
• Keep children with diarrhea out of child care settings.