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Cause:
Bacteria in the genus
Shigella, typically S. sonnei. Other species
including S. flexneri, S. boydii, or S. dysenteriae
are more common in developing countries.
Illness and treatment:
Symptoms include
fever, watery or bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue
and headache. Most persons will recover without treatment.
Antibiotics may be used to shorten the duration of
intestinal excretion of the organism.
Sources:
Humans are the only
reservoir, transmitting through feces-contaminated food or
water or through person-to-person transmission, including
oral-anal sex. Outbreaks are occasionally associated with
child care or food service facilities.
Additional risks:
Ingesting very few organisms can cause infection. Outbreaks
occur under conditions of crowding and poor hygiene, putting
institutions for children, mental hospitals, prisons, and
refugee facilities at additional risk.
Prevention:
Wash hands carefully
including cleaning under the nails with soap and water after
defecation or changing diapers and before food handling.
Recent Washington trends:
Each year there are 116 to 501 reports.
2008:
116 cases were reported (1.8
cases/100,000 population). Shigellosis was diagnosed most
frequently in the age groups 1 to 4 years and 5 to 9 years.
42% of cases were associated with travel outside of the
United States. The most frequently reported travel
destinations were Mexico and India.
Purpose of Reporting and
Surveillance
- To determine if there
is a source of infection of public health concern (e.g.,
a food handler or child care facility) and to stop
transmission from such a source.
- When the source of
infection appears to pose a risk to only a few
individuals (e.g., a private water supply), to inform
those individuals how they can reduce their risk of
exposure.
- To assess the risk of
the case transmitting infection to others, and to
prevent such transmission.
- To identify outbreaks
and other undiagnosed cases.
Reporting Requirements
-
Health
care providers: immediately notifiable to local
health jurisdiction.
-
Hospitals: immediately notifiable to local health
jurisdiction.
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Laboratories: notifiable to local health
jurisdiction within 2 work days; specimen submission
required.
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Local
health jurisdiction:
notifiable to the Washington State Department of
Health (DOH) Communicable Disease Epidemiology
Section (CDES) within 7 days of case investigation
completion or summary information required within 21
days.
Last
update
November 2009 |
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