Skiptomaincontentextension.osu.edufcs.osu.eduShigella:BacteriathatCausestheFoodborneIllnessShigellosisHYG-5563FamilyandConsumerSciencesDate: 12/03/2012WrittenbyNancyStehulakRevisedbyLydiaMedeiros,MicheleWilliams,andJefferyLeJeuneShigellaspeciesarebacteriathatcauseafoodborneillnesscalledshigellosis.Theillnesscanbetreatedandmostpeoplegetbetterquickly.OneofthesymptomsofShigellosisisdiarrhea.Severediarrheacancausedehydrationfortheveryyoungorthechronicallyill.Whatarethesymptoms?Themostcommonsymptomsarediarrhea,fever,nausea,vomiting,stomachcramps,andstrainingtohaveabowelmovement.Thestoolmaycontainblood,mucus,orpus.Inrarecases,youngchildrenwiththediseasecanhaveseizures.Symptomscantakeaslongasaweektoshowup,butmostoftenbegintwotofourdaysafterinfection.Thesymptomsusuallylastforseveraldays,butcanlastforweeks.Thebacteriamustbeswallowedtocausedisease.Theyareoftenspreadwhenpeopledonotwashtheirhandswithsoapandwarmwaterafterusingthetoiletorchangingadiaper.Peoplewhogetthegermsontheirhandscaninfectthemselvesbyeating,smoking,ortouchingtheirmouths.Theycanalsospreadthegermstoanyoneoranythingtheytouch,makingotherssick.Inrarecases,Shigellabacteriacanalsobespreadthroughpondsandswimmingpoolswithoutenoughchlorine.Whenpeoplewhohavediarrheaswiminthepoolorpond,thebacteriacansurviveinthewaterandinfectotherswimmerswhothenswallowthewaterorevengettheirlipswet.Ifyouthinkyoumighthavethisdisease,youshouldseeyourdoctororgotoyourhealthcenter.Peoplewithdiarrheaorvomitingneedextrafluidstotreatdehydration.Antibioticsareusedtotreatseverecasesofshigellosis.WhatfoodsareassociatedwithShigella?Salads(potato,tuna,shrimp,macaroni,andchicken),rawvegetables,milkanddairyproducts,andpoultrycancarryShigellabacteria.Watercontaminatedwithhumanwasteandunsanitaryhandlingbyfoodhandlersarethemostcommoncausesofcontaminationinthesefoodproducts.Commonpets,farmanimals,andwildanimalsdonotspreadthesegerms;onlymonkeysandpeoplecan.PublichealthconsequencesTheexactnumberofshigellosiscasesthatoccureachyearishardtodeterminebecausemanyp