Shigella also produce a number of toxins (Shiga toxin and others) that increase the amount of fluid secretion by the intestinal tract. This fluid secretion is a major cause of the diarrhea symptoms.
Symptoms can be limited to only mild diarrhea or go on to full-blown dysentery.
Shigella is caused by a type of bacterium. Specifically, it is a genus of bacteria belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae. Shigella is known to cause shigellosis, an infectious disease characterized by diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. There are four main species of Shigella, with Shigella dysenteriae, Shigella flexneri, Shigella boydii, and Shigella sonnei being the most common.
The common name for Shigella is Dysentery. This causes a severe, watery diarrhea. A person loses so much water it is fatal. This disease also is caused by an amoeba.
Shigella accounts for about 10% of diarrhea illness in travelers to Mexico, South America, and the tropics.
Shigella are extremely infectious bacteria, and ingestion of just 10 organisms is enough to cause severe diarrhea and dehydration.
Shigella accounts for 10-20% of all cases of diarrhea worldwide, and in any given year infects over 140 million persons and kills 600,000, mostly children and the elderly.
Dysentery is often referred to as "bloody diarrhea" due to its characteristic symptom of blood in the stool. Other names include "amoebic dysentery" when caused by the parasite Entamoeba histolytica and "bacillary dysentery" for cases caused by bacteria such as Shigella. It is also sometimes colloquially referred to as "summer diarrhea" in certain contexts.
Cholera and shigellosis can be differentiated based on their causative agents and clinical features. Cholera, caused by Vibrio cholerae, typically presents with profuse watery diarrhea and severe dehydration, often linked to contaminated water sources. In contrast, Shigella infection results in dysentery, characterized by bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever. Laboratory testing can further distinguish the two; cholera is identified through stool cultures for V. cholerae, while Shigella is diagnosed by isolating the bacteria from stool samples.
Shigella is a type of bacteria. Specifically, it is a genus of gram-negative bacteria that can cause shigellosis, an infectious disease characterized by diarrhea. Shigella is transmitted through contaminated food or water and can spread easily in crowded environments.
A rod-shaped bacteria known to cause food-born ilnesses with symptoms of sudden and severe diarrhea.
Shigella, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Yersinia. Clostridium difficile produces a toxin that can cause severe diarrhea.
Dysentery