Shigella & Seizures in Children

Shigellosis is an infection that most often affects children that are between two and four years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Shigellosis causes young children to develop diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, a high fever and/or seizures.

Significance

• Children usually develop a shigella infection for between two and seven days, according to MedlinePlus. Kids with a shigella infection that are under two years old are most likely to develop a high fever and seizures, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Causes

• Shigellosis is caused by forms of the Shigella bacteria, which can be spread through a child's stools, hand-to-mouth contact or infected surfaces and objects. Children who live in crowded environments and/or go to daycare centers are at an increased risk for developing severe forms of shigellosis that cause seizures, according to the Nemours Foundation.

Diagnosis

• Doctors often use a stool culture, where they collect a sample of patients' stools and send it to a laboratory to be examined for the presence of bacteria, to diagnose severe forms of shigellosis.

Treatment

• Doctors often treat severe forms of shigella with antibiotics, but some children need to receive intravenous fluid injections if they become dehydrated, according to the New York State Department of Health.

Prevention

• It is possible to prevent more serious forms of shigellosis by making sure your child washes his hands regularly, using good hygiene practices while cooking food, regularly cleaning off surfaces in your home, taking care of soiled diapers properly and/or making sure your child does not swallow water from a public pool or lake.