Shigellosis

Shigellosis – General Information

Shigellosis can be encountered as bacillary dysentery, especially when it reaches an advanced stage of development. Generally, this is a disease caused by infection with bacteria of the genus Shigella, particularly found in certain foods. There are cases in which this kind of bacterium can be found in water polluted with human feces, from where it is eventually transmitted through the fecal oral pattern. The most common way to transmit the disease is directly, from person to person, by only touching hands, and tends to affect young patients, due to their poor hygiene. In most cases, if Shigellosis is not discovered at the right time, it can progress to a life threatening stage.

The bacterium that causes Shigellosis can contaminate food and water supplies, particularly in places in which individuals practice poor hygiene. In most cases, the organism is spread when the patient comes in direct contact with another one’s stool (feces). That is why it is very important to wash the hands after using the bathroom and before eating. Usually, only ten of these bacteria can cause the disease; however, the organism can spread easily, especially within families, schools and other person to person interaction institutions. This kind of medical condition can affect persons of any age, but it develops especially in children between two and three years old because they do not practice proper hygiene. With an exact diagnosis and a proper treatment, this type of bacterial infection can be treated and cured successfully, with a low recurrence rate.

Shigellosis – Symptoms

It is very important for the doctor to diagnose and treat Shigellosis in time, to prevent any complications and side effects. The most common signs and symptoms caused by this kind of disease can be similar to the ones caused by bacillary dysentery and can include cramps, diarrhea, tenesmus, fever and vomiting; pus, mucus and blood may appear in the patient’s stool. In most cases, the onset of these manifestations appears in the first 12 to 50 hours after the infection. There are also cases in which Shigellosis can be diagnosed based on the following signs and symptoms: mucosal ulceration, rectal bleeding, and drastic dehydration, manifestations that, if not treated properly, can threaten the patient’s life. In some patients, if the disease is not treated properly or even not treated at all, it can progress, developing other complications and severe conditions such as Reiter’s disease and hemolytic uremic syndrome.

In most cases, this medical condition is transmitted through food and the most common aliments can include salads, potato, tuna, shrimp, macaroni, chicken, raw vegetables, meat and milk or dietary products. Usually, the contamination of these aliments is through the fecal-oral way. Shigellosis can also appear due to water contaminated with feces. Young patients are more susceptible to experience these manifestations than older ones, due to their improper hygiene. The disease can also appear as a complication of other more severe diseases such as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (more commonly known as AIDS) and other diseases associated with this one.

Shigellosis – Treatment

It is very important for the doctor to exactly diagnose Shigellosis, so that the proper treatment can be prescribed. In most cases, the diagnosis is made on the patient’s signs and symptoms that can include severe diarrhea, bleeding from the patient’s anus, blood in the stools, or unusual bowel movements. The doctor should make some additional tests to rule out any other diseases that can cause similar manifestations. Usually, the doctor should take a sample of the patient’s stool and send it to the laboratory for microscopic examination to confirm the presence of Shigella bacteria. The doctor may perform other tests as well to look for any possible causes of the present signs and symptoms, particularly if the patient presents a large amount of blood in the stools. Usually, depending of the severity of the patient’s manifestations, the doctor may recommend fluids and prescribe antibiotics to treat Shigellosis. Most of the health care providers recommend the patients to avoid taking anti-diarrhea drugs, because they can worsen the severity of the disease. There are two major treatment procedures used to cure Shigellosis: rehydration and use of antibiotics.

The first goal of the treatment is to keep up the patient’s nutrition and avoid dehydration. In most cases, this type of infectious disease can be cured before the diagnosis is made based on culture. It is very important to administrate certain medicines, in addition to the ones that are prescribed, to control diarrhea. These medications have the effect of slowing the intestinal contractions, and if they are overdosed, they can cause problems, especially in patients who present bloody diarrhea or fever. In treating Shigellosis, researches have developed a standard solution that can be taken orally, to prevent dehydration, which consists of salt, sugar, orange juice, water and baking powder. There are also certain pharmaceutical solutions such as Pedialyte that can be used in preventing dehydration.

In most cases, especially when the patient experiences mild manifestations, this kind of treatment can be enough, but in cases of severe dehydration, the first treatment option is intravenous (IV) fluid replacement. In treating Shigellosis, the second major line of treatment is the use of antibiotics. Most patients experienced improvement after taking antibiotics, especially those who also suffer from other more severe conditions. The antibiotic treatment can be applied differently depending on the type of bacteria that caused the condition and can include Ampicillin, Bactrim and Ciprofloxacin, that can be especially applied in young patients. It is very simple to prevent this disorder and the most common precautions can include washing hands before eating and using the restroom. There are also other preventing measures that can be successfully applied and can include vaccines, which are also administered differently depending on the stage of the disease. It is very important to treat the condition in the early stages to prevent more severe complications. If the medical condition is not treated properly or even not treated at all, it can progress, developing several complications that can threat the patient’s life.