BY MARIA BARAN
Belleville News-Democrat (IL)
An East St. Louis student has been diagnosed with a bacterial disease, according to Douglas Clark, spokesman for District 189.
The Hawthorne Elementary student was diagnosed with shigellosis, a disease transmitted by direct or indirect fecal-oral contact or consuming contaminated food or water, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The East Side Health District informed the school earlier this week, Clark said.


Clark did not release the student’s name. The condition of the victim was not available Thursday.
Shigella infections are responsible for an estimated 300,000 illnesses and 600 deaths per year in the United States, according to CDC.
Shigellosis is an infectious disease caused by a group of bacteria called shigella. Most who are infected with shigella develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps starting a day or two after they are exposed to the bacterium.
The spread of shigella from an infected person to other persons can be stopped by frequent and careful hand washing with soap.
Contact reporter Maria Baran at mbaran@bnd.com or 239-2562.