Shigella Dysenteriae Infection

Shigella Dysenteriae is a form of the infection known as Shigellosis, which is caused by the group of bacteria called Shigella. There are about 18,000 cases of shigellosis are reported in the United States every year. Although this infection causes several uncomfortable and inconvenient symptoms, in many cases it does not require hospitalization or medications and resolves on its own.

Definition

• Shigellosis is caused by the bacteria Shigella, which causes diarrhea in humans and can be passed from person to person much like a cold virus. There are several different strains of these Shigella bacteria, Shigella sonnei or "Group D" Shigella and Shigella flexneri, or "group B" Shigella are the two most common. Other types are rare, but have the ability to cause dangerous epidemics, as they are hard to control in the third-world countries in which they appear.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of Shiegellosis usually begin to appear a day or two after the body is exposed to the shigella bacteria. These symptoms include stomach cramps, diarrhea and fever. Children under the age of 2 who have a severe infection and a high fever may also experience seizures. In some cases, there may be no apparent symptoms, but the bacteria can still be passed on to other people.

Causes

• Most Shigellosis infections are caused by the passing of the shigella bacteria from soiled fingers from one person to the mouth of another person. This usually is the result of poor handwashing or sexual activities. Shigellosis particularly occurs among toddlers when they are not fully toilet-trained and their family members and caretakers are at a high risk to catch it from the child.
  Shigellosis can also be caused by eating food that has been contaminated by the food's preparer or handlers who have not washed their hands properly. Vegetables can also carry shigella bacteria if they were harvested from a field contaminated by sewage.

Diagnosis

• Of course there are other bacteria, germs and unrelated causes of diarrhea, so a lab test may be required to determine if shigella was the cause. Certain tests can determine which bacteria are present and what type of antibiotics will best treat the condition.

Treatment

• Not all types of Shigella bacteria can be killed by antibiotics, and in some cases these strains become resistant to the antibiotics administered and even those that have not yet been administered. Most mild cases of shigellosis are not treated with antibiotics at all and instead the complications are merely managed with over the counter medications, time and rest.