The Center for Acute Disease Epidemiology (CADE)

The symptoms of shigellosis usually appear 1-3 days after infection occurs. Symptoms include, but are not limited to:

• Diarrhea – watery, bloody, and/or covered with mucus; stools are often accompanied by pain
• Fever
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal cramps

Shigella are the group of bacteria that cause shigellosis. There are four main species that cause human disease. All four of these species are found in the feces (stool) of infected people. They live inside the small and large intestines of infected people, where they damage the intestinal wall. It is this damage that leads to the characteristic diarrhea found in shigellosis.

There are three main ways that shigella are spread:

• Person-to-Person. Any infected person can infect others by failing to properly wash their hands before handling food or coming into close contact with another person. Infections in households, pre-schools, child care facilities, and elderly and developmentally disabled living facilities commonly spread in this manner.
• Foodborne. Flies can potentially spread the bacteria by landing on contaminated feces and then food
• Waterborne. Fecal contaminated recreational water, such as fill and drain wading pools, can be a source for spread.

Any age group can become infected with shigella. The most commonly affected groups of people are:

• Young children, especially those in child care centers and pre-schools
• People living in crowded conditions
• People living in long-term care facilities
• Men who have sex with men
• The elderly, the debilitated, and the malnourished of all ages are particularly susceptible to severe disease and death.

Shigellosis is usually considered a mild infection that will go away between four to seven days without treatment. Staying hydrated and replacing electrolytes are generally considered the main treatments. However, antibiotic treatment may be necessary if the infection is severe or the infected person has a poor immune system. Antibiotics have been shown to decrease length of illness, the severity of disease, and the amount of time that the bacteria are excreted in the feces.