What is Shigella, the bacteria that killed a girl after she ate shawarma in Kerala?

Kerala health department identified Shigella bacteria as the cause for the food poisoning incident in Kasaragod It claimed the life of a 16-year-old girl and led to 30-odd others being admitted to hospital.

What is Shigella?

• It is a bacterium that belongs to the enterobacter family — a group of bacteria that reside in the intestine, not all of which cause disease in humans.
• It mainly affects the intestine and results in diarrhoea, sometimes bloody, stomach pain, and fever.
• The infection spreads easily as it takes only “a small number of bacteria to make someone ill.
• It is a food- and water-borne infection, and can happen when someone consumes contaminated food, unwashed fruit or vegetables.
• It is easily spread by direct or indirect contact with the excrement of the patient.
• One can get the infection if they swim or take a bath in contaminated water.

Not very common

• It is not a very common infection.
• Usually infections like typhoid and cholera are seen because of contaminated foods.
• Perhaps one in 100 cases of diarrhoea would be shigellosis.
• There are four types of Shigella bacteria that affect humans —
  • Shigella sonnei
  • Shigella flexneri
  • Shigella boydii, and
  • Shigella dysenteriae.
• The fourth type causes the most severe disease because of the toxin it produces.

Death is unusual

• Infection does not generally kill, unless the patient has a weak immune system or the pathogen is resistant to the antibiotics that are prescribed.
• It is treatable condition; if a patient reaches hospital on time they can effectively be treated using IV antibiotics.
• The problem occurs when the antibiotics do not work because the bacteria are resistant to it.
• Shigella produces a lot of toxins that can affect all other organs.
• So, if the bacteria continue to proliferate in the body even after giving the antibiotics, it will continue to produce toxins, which can then affect the kidney, cause seizures, lead to multi-organ failure, and shock, and even turn fatal.
• This, however, does not happen in most cases.
• The mortality of the infection is less than 1%

Warning signs

• Major symptome are:
  • Loose motions accompanied with high fever, blood in the stool, or constant vomiting such that cannot keep any fluids down.
  • A person who has severe diarrhoea must see a doctor within a day.
  • Patient with mild diarrhoea may wait for three to four days before going to a doctor.
• It is true of any diarrhoea, whether it is because of Shigella or any other reason.

Precautions to take

• Wash hands thoroughly before and after a meal.
• Wash hands properly after a bowel movement.
• Ensure drinking water is clean and the fruits and vegetables are fresh.
• Products such as milk, chicken, and fish can get infected easily and must be kept at a proper temperature.
• They must also be properly cooked

Exam Track

• Water bourne Diseses
• Different Types of Pathogens
• AMR
• Red Line Campaign
• shigellosis