Shigella Infection Kills 2-Year-Old in Kozhikode: What Is It?

What is shigella and what makes it so deadly?

(Photo: iStockphoto)

A 2-year-old boy died after being infected by shigella in Kozhikode Medical College and Hospital, Kerala. He is the fourth casualty of the infection in the state.

Earlier, the state had issued a shigella dysentery warning post the death of three people who were suspected to be infected by the bacteria. Out of these two were from Kozhikode and one was from Thiruvananthapuram.

But what is shigella and what makes it so deadly?

What is Shigella?

Shigella is a bacteria which causes pain in the belly, fever and diarrhea. But how does one get infected?

The Shigella bacteria enters the stomach and begins to multiply in the small intestines, as per WebMD. They also proceed to then spread to the large intestines and cause painful cramps along with diarrhea.

Shigella is known to spread through contaminated water or food. In certain cases, it can also spread from infected people.

Signs & Symptoms

As per WebMD, people infected with Shigella may show these symptoms:

• Nausea
• Intense vomiting
• Fever
• Severe cramps in the stomach and abdominal region
• Urge to urinate frequently

Usually, the incubation time for the bacteria is 5-7 days and people need to be hospitalised only in extreme cases.

Treatment

In most cases, drinking lots of fluids and resting well helps the patient recover. In severe cases, doctors may prescribe antibiotics.

Treatment becomes difficult when the Shigella bacteria become resistant to the antibiotics.

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