December 21, 2005
KidsHealth.org
Named after the Japanese scientist Shiga who discovered it in 1897, Shigella is a type of bacteria that infects the intestinal tract. Four different groups of Shigella can affect humans, with some causing a mild illness and others a more severe one.
About 18,000 cases of Shigella infection are diagnosed each year in the United States, but many more go unreported because they involve only mild symptoms and sometimes no symptoms at all. The infection is most common during the summer months. Shigella rarely infects infants younger than 6 months old, but it is common in children 2 to 4 years old, especially those in child care.Continue Reading Shigella Infections
December 2005
Carteret works quickly on shigellosis outbreak
By Shigella Lawyer on
Posted in Shigella Watch
December 13,2005
BY JANNETTE PIPPIN
DAILY NEWS STAFF
MOREHEAD CITY – The Carteret County Health Department has begun an intensive public campaign on preventing shigellosis following three reported cases of the highly contagious bacterial infection.
“Because it is transmitted so easily and so quickly, we want to let everyone know so there is heightened awareness of the symptoms,” said Carteret County Health Department health educator Mary Fournier.
The most common symptom of shigellosis, a gastrointestinal illness, is diarrhea accompanied by fever, nausea, and sometimes vomiting and abdominal cramps. There may also be blood or mucus in a person’s stool.Continue Reading Carteret works quickly on shigellosis outbreak