Shigellosis, also known as bacterial dysentery, is a bowel infection caused by Shigella bacteria, which causes symptoms such as diarrhea, stomach aches, nausea, vomiting and headaches.
This infection is usually caused by ingestion of water or food contaminated with faeces and is therefore more common in children who do not wash their hands after playing on grass or sand, for example.
- Shigellosis usually goes away naturally after 5 to 7 days.
- But if symptoms persist or worsen.
- It is advisable to see your family doctor to confirm the diagnosis and begin treatment.
- If necessary.
The first symptoms of Shigella infection appear 1 to 2 days after infection and include:
However, there are also people who have the infection but have no symptoms, so the body can remove the bacteria without knowing that they have already been infected.
These symptoms can be more severe in people with weakened immune systems, such as the elderly, children, or diseases such as HIV, cancer, lupus, or multiple sclerosis, for example.
The only way to confirm the diagnosis of Shigellosis is to do a stool test to identify the presence of the Shigella bacteria in the laboratory.
However, in most cases, your doctor only recognizes that you have an intestinal infection, indicating generic treatment for these cases, only when symptoms don’t improve after 3 days, your doctor may order a stool test to confirm the cause and start more specific treatment.
In most cases, shigellosis is naturally treated by the body, as the immune system can kill bacteria in about 5 to 7 days; However, to relieve symptoms and speed recovery, some precautions are recommended, such as:
When symptoms are very severe or delayed over time, your doctor may prescribe the use of an antibiotic, such as azithromycin, to help your body remove bacteria and ensure a cure.
Although treatment can be done at home, it is important to see your doctor to start more specific treatment when symptoms get worse, don’t improve at 2 to 3 days or when blood appears in diarrhea.
Transmission of shigellosis occurs when food or objects contaminated with faeces are introduced into the mouth and, therefore, precautions should be taken in daily life to avoid spreading, such as:
In addition, people with this infection should also avoid preparing food for others.