Common Misspellings of Shigella - shigell, Shigela, Shagella

Posted by Bill Marler on April 18, 2008
Shigella is a bacterium that can cause sudden and severe diarrhea (gastroenteritis) in humans. Shigellosis is the name of the disease that Shigella causes. The illness is also known as "bacillary dysentery." Shigella bacteria can infect the intestinal tract after the ingestion of relatively few organisms. This is why shigellosis is the most communicable of the bacterial-induced diarrheas.

The source of Shigella bacteria is the excrement (feces) of an infected individual that is ultimately ingested by another person. The infectious material is spread to new cases by person-to-person contact or via contaminated food or water. Approximately 20% of the nearly 450,000 cases of shigellosis that occur annually in the U.S are foodborne-related. Generally, the food preparer is the individual who contaminates the food, but food may also become contaminated during processing. Contamination of drinking water by Shigella is a problem that more often occurs in the developing world, but swimming pools and beaches in the U.S. can become contaminated by infected individuals. No group of individuals is immune to shigellosis, but certain individuals are at increased risk, particularly small children. Persons infected with HIV experience shigellosis much more commonly than other individuals.

Lower Hudson Jewish Community Hit By Shigella Outbreak

Posted by Shigella Attorney on April 17, 2008

The Journal News, the  Gannett  newspaper the Lower Hudson Valley including  Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties in New York, today (4/17/08) is reporting on a Shigella outbreak involving local Jewish schools and day care centers.  Here's what Jane Lemer writes: 

A total of 67 cases of shigellosis have been reported so far this year, Rockland Commissioner of Health Dr. Joan Facelle said today. No cases of the infectious disease were reported during the same period last year.

A small number of cases started in January, with the majority of the infections occuring in the past three or four weeks, she said.

"We're been out in the community, talking to the schools, to the rabbis, the families," she said. "We're using a multi-pronged approach to get the information out there."

Most of the people who have the diseases live or attend school in the Monsey area, she said.

Check out the rest of the story here.

Six Month Old Shigella Outbreak In Indianapolis Shows No Sign Of Ending, Marion County Health Department Reports

Posted by Shigella Lawyer on April 12, 2008

We've been watching the Shigella outbreak in the Indianapolis area all winter.   The pace continues with 16 new cases this week and 15 last week.   The county's health department marked the sixth month of the outbreak with a news release, which in part said:

Marion County's Shigella outbreak has entered its six-month and local health officials are concerned that the highly contagious disease will gain momentum now that school-aged children have returned from spring break.

The health department has already received 16 new cases this week after receiving 15 new cases last week. More than 325 individuals, mainly pre-school and school-aged children, have been diagnosed with Shigella since the outbreak began in October of 2007. An untold number of others likely have the disease, but have not sought treatment from their health care provider.

During the last outbreak in 2000, Marion County experienced an increase in the number of cases from 15 just before Spring break to more than 120 in the weeks immediately following spring break.

In the release, the health department outlines its strategy of focusing on day care centers, childcare providers, schools, doctors and other health care providers with information about Shigella.   The education campaign, however, does not appear to be working.  The health department says:

Still, the health department continues to see double-digit new cases being reported each week. Bringing an end to the outbreak poses many challenges.

For the complete release, go here.


Shigella Outbreak Reported By Australian Disease Control

Posted by Shigella Lawyer on April 02, 2008

Adelaide in Southern Australia has an outbreak of Shigella, ABC News is reporting tonight (4/2/08).

Director of the infectious diseases control branch, Ann Koehler, says cases of the illness, known as shigella, have been reported across Adelaide.

Dr Koehler says it is one of the few types of gastro needing treatment with antibiotics because it can spread rapidly.

She says anyone with gastro symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, fever or nausea needs to pay special attention to hygiene and should not return to work or school or prepare food for 24 hours after symptoms ease.

The ABC report with map can be found here.