Shigella is a type of bacteria that can lead to shigella infection, known as shigellosis. Shigella typically starts in the intestines and impacts the GI and digestive systems the most. Shigella is highly contagious and most often exemplified by diarrhoea, which can be bloody depending on the severity of the infection.
In order to get infected with shigella, you need to ingest the bacteria which is why it’s so popular amongst children. Children do not think about what they’re eating or putting into their mouths, and they sometimes accidentally ingest shigella. It’s important to practice regular hand washing to avoid contracting and spreading shigella.
The most common sign of shigella is severe and sometimes bloody diarrhoea. In most cases, people will start displaying the signs and symptoms of shigellosis within two days of their initial infection, often even sooner. The symptoms will vary greatly depending on the severity of the infection and the health status of the infected child. Here are the most common symptoms:
Most of the symptoms you’ll experience with shigella are similar to those of a severe stomach flu. Shigella is very hard on the digestive system and symptoms typically linger for up to a week.
Shigella is a bacterial infection that you get when you accidentally ingest the shigella bacteria. Shigella is exclusively found in the faeces of others, which means you can only get shigella if you eat an infected person’s faeces. However, while this sounds disgusting, it’s easier said than done, especially for children. Here are some of the ways that shigellosis can spread.
Shigella is highly contagious, and a single bacterium is enough to cause an infection. While anyone can get shigella at any age, children under the age of 5 are especially at risk. Children at this age often don’t worry about washing hands, where they swim, what they drink, or what they eat. Therefore, it’s important to teach your children proper hand hygiene and etiquette to prevent the contraction and spread of shigella.
Shigella is very easy for most healthcare providers to diagnose. First, your doctor will examine the signs and symptoms your child is displaying. Next, they will ask about what they’ve eaten or drank in the past few days as well as if they wash their hands regularly. Finally, if they think that shigella is a possibility, they take a stool sample.
A stool sample is where your doctor takes a sample of your child’s stool to check it for the presence of shigella bacteria. If the bacteria is present, an infection is likely.
In most cases, while shigella is painful and uncomfortable, it isn’t life threatening. It usually goes away on its own within one week of when your child started displaying symptoms. Sometimes, however, additional treatment might be necessary.
Dehydration is one of the biggest risks for people with shigella. Therefore, it is important to get plenty of fluids and salts for people with shigella.
Medications can help ease the painful symptoms of shigella and slow the diarrhoea.
In serious situations, antibiotics are necessary to kill the bacteria and cure shigella.
Using one or more of these methods, most children make a quick recovery from shigella.