Published: 28th Dec, 2020
A number of cases of shigella infection have detected in Kozhikode district of Kerala.
Context
A number of cases of shigella infection have detected in Kozhikode district of Kerala.
About
What is shigella infection?
- Shigellosis or shigella infection is a contagious intestinal infection.
- Caused by: It is caused by a genus of bacteria known as
- The same bacteria is also understood to be the prime reason for the occurrence of diarrhea especially among children in the African and South Asian countries.
- The lethal bacteria enters the body through ingestion and harms the epithelial lining of the colon resulting in severe inflammation and subsequent damage to the cells.
- The bacteria is so lethal that only a minute number of bacteria can cause havoc in a person’s body.
- Transmission: It gets transmitted from person to person after the bacteria has been ingested by the person accidentally.
What are the symptoms?
- People with shigellosis may start experiencing symptoms within one or two days of the entry of germs in the body.
- The common symptoms are:
- diarrhea (often bloody and painful)
- stomach pain
- fever
- nausea
- vomiting
- There have been cases too where people don’t experience any signs of the bacterial infection.
How to prevent the disease?
- Wash hands with soap especially after dealing with a child’s diaper and before preparing/eating food.
- While swimming in pools and lakes, it’s advisable not to swallow water.
- Avoid eating contaminated food especially from the street in unhygienic conditions.
- Drinking boiled water is advised.
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