CNN

Signs and symptoms of shigella infection usually begin a day or two after exposure to shigella. Signs and symptoms may include:

• Diarrhea (often containing blood or mucus)
• Abdominal cramps
• Fever

Although some people have no symptoms after they've been infected with shigella, their feces are still contagious.

When to see a doctor
Contact your doctor or seek urgent care if you or your child has bloody diarrhea or diarrhea severe enough to cause weight loss and dehydration. Also, contact your doctor if you or your child has diarrhea accompanied by a fever of 101 F (38 C) or higher.

©1998-2012 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Terms of use.
Read this article on Mayoclinic.com.

Infection occurs when you accidentally ingest shigella bacteria. This can happen when you:

• Touch your mouth. If you don't wash your hands well after changing the diaper of a child who has shigella infection, you may become infected yourself. Direct person-to-person contact is the most common way the disease is transmitted.
• Eat contaminated food. Infected people who prepare food can transmit the bacteria to people who eat the food. Food can also become contaminated if it grows in a field that contains sewage.
• Swallow contaminated water. Water may become contaminated either from sewage or from a person with shigella infection swimming in it.

©1998-2012 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Terms of use.
Read this article on Mayoclinic.com.

• Age. Shigella infection is most common in children between the ages of 2 and 4.
• Group housing or activities. Close contact with other people spreads the bacteria from person to person. Shigella outbreaks are more common in child care centers, nursing homes, jails and military barracks.
• Lack of sanitation. People who live or travel in developing countries are more likely to contract shigella infection.
• Sexual orientation. Men who have sex with men are at higher risk.

©1998-2012 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Terms of use.
Read this article on Mayoclinic.com.

Shigella infection usually clears up without complications, although it may take weeks or months before your bowel habits return to normal.

Complications may include:

• Dehydration. Persistent diarrhea can cause dehydration. Symptoms include lightheadedness, dizziness, lack of tears in children, sunken eyes and dry diapers. Severe dehydration can lead to shock and death.
• Seizures. Some children who run high fevers with a shigella infection have seizures. It's not known whether the convulsions are a result of the fever or the shigella infection itself. If your child has a seizure, contact your doctor immediately.
• Rectal prolapse. In this condition, straining during bowel movements may cause the rectal mucous membrane, or lining, to move out through the anus.
• Hemolytic uremic syndrome. This rare complication of shigella, more commonly caused by bacteria called Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7, can lead to a low red blood cell count (hemolytic anemia), low platelet count (thrombocytopenia) and acute kidney failure.
• Toxic megacolon. This rare complication occurs when your colon becomes paralyzed, preventing you from having a bowel movement or passing gas. Signs and symptoms include abdominal pain and swelling, fever, and weakness. If you don't receive treatment for toxic megacolon, your colon may rupture, causing peritonitis, a life-threatening condition requiring emergency surgery.
• Reiter syndrome. A form of reactive arthritis, Reiter syndrome develops in response to infection. Signs and symptoms of Reiter syndrome include joint pain and inflammation, usually in the ankles, knees, feet and hips; redness, itching and discharge in one or both eyes (conjunctivitis); and painful urination (urethritis).

©1998-2012 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Terms of use.
Read this article on Mayoclinic.com.

Most people who have shigella infection get well on their own and don't need to see a doctor. If you or your child has severe symptoms or a high fever, you may need treatment.

What you can do
Before talking with your doctor, you may want to write a list that answers the following questions:

• What symptoms are occurring?
• When did the symptoms start?
• Have you or your child been exposed to shigella infection?
• Do you or your child have a fever? If so, how high is it?

What to expect from your doctor
During the physical exam, your doctor may press on various parts of your abdomen to check for pain or tenderness. He or she may also use a cotton swab to obtain a stool culture or send you home with instructions for collecting and transporting a sample of your stool so it can be tested for evidence of infection.

©1998-2012 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Terms of use.
Read this article on Mayoclinic.com.

Diarrhea and bloody diarrhea can result from a number of diseases. Confirming shigellosis involves taking a sample of your stool to be tested in a laboratory for the presence of shigella bacteria or their toxins.

©1998-2012 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Terms of use.
Read this article on Mayoclinic.com.

Shigella infection usually runs its course in five to seven days. Replacing lost fluids from diarrhea may be all the treatment you need, particularly if your general health is good and your shigella infection is mild.

Avoid drugs intended to treat diarrhea, such as loperamide (Imodium) and diphenoxylate with atropine (Lomotil), because they can make your condition worse.

Antibiotics
For severe shigella infection, antibiotics may shorten the duration of the illness. However, some shigella bacteria have become drug resistant. So it's better not to take antibiotics unless your shigella infection is severe. Antibiotics may also be necessary for infants, older adults and people who have HIV infection, as well as in situations where there's high risk of spreading the disease.

Fluid and salt replacement
For generally healthy adults, drinking water may be enough to counteract the dehydrating effects of diarrhea. Children may benefit from an oral rehydrating solution, such as Pedialyte, available in drugstores. Children and adults who are severely dehydrated need treatment in a hospital emergency room, where they can receive salts and fluids through a vein (intravenously), rather than by mouth. Intravenous hydration provides the body with water and essential nutrients much more quickly than oral solutions do.

©1998-2012 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Terms of use.
Read this article on Mayoclinic.com.

• Wash hands frequently and thoroughly.
• Supervise small children when they wash their hands.
• Dispose of soiled diapers properly.
• Disinfect diaper-changing areas after use.
• Don't prepare food for others if you have diarrhea.
• Keep children with diarrhea home from child care, play groups or school.

©1998-2012 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). Terms of use.
Read this article on Mayoclinic.com.