It has been several days since the Institut Pasteur warned of the risks associated with the circulation and spread of shigellosis. A highly contagious and potentially fatal diarrheal disease, also known as “dysentery”.
While it was previously observed in developing countries and tropical areas, many outbreaks have been identified in France in recent weeks.
Classified among the “twelve priority pathogens” for which treatments must be found, shigellosis is of growing concern to specialists, in particular because it is very resistant to antibiotics, which implies that a treatment must be found.
This infectious disease is also listed as the sister of the famous bacterium Escheria coli (E.coli), which had been detected in certain foods.
What are the symptoms?
An infection with shigellosis is manifested by various symptoms. The most common are fever, abdominal pain accompanied by vomiting and bloody or even haemorrhagic diarrhoea.
To avoid further complications, doctors recommend drinking plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
In more severe cases, shigellosis can cause septic shock, kidney failure, and bowel obstruction. Aggravated, these causes can sometimes lead to the death of the person.
How is it transmitted?
The main route of transmission is faecal-oral, i.e. food and water contaminated with faeces. Only ten germs are enough for contamination. The bacterium then colonizes the cells of the intestinal wall and the mucous membrane of the colon in order to destroy the tissues.
How to heal?
In the majority of cases, shigellosis is cured in three or four days. But beware, this disease can be fatal in some cases, it kills no less than 200,000 people each year.
The problem is that this strain cannot be cured with common antibiotics, such as fluoroquinolones, 3rd generation cephalosporins and azithromycin because it is resistant to them.
For extreme and severe cases, much more expensive antibiotics are preferred: carbapenems and colistin, administered intravenously.
How to limit the contagion?
Doctors and specialists recommend the barrier gestures that we know well since the Covid-19. It is advisable to wash your hands as often as possible, when traveling outside.
