Shigella Infections: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

This article provides an overview of Shigella infections, including their symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. It explains the key characteristics of the disease and discusses its epidemiology. The article also highlights the importance of proper hygiene and vaccination in preventing the spread of Shigella infections.

Assessment

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Introduction..................................................................................................................................1
Key characteristics.......................................................................................................................2
Disease symptoms as well as epidemiology................................................................................2
Diagnosis and treatment...............................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
A disease refers to some harmful deviation from functional state as well as normal
structural of an organisms that is associates to various signs, symptoms along with differs in
characteristics from physical injury (Lampel, Formal and Maurelli, 2018). It is specific abnormal
situation which negatively affects function addition to structure of either all or particular part of
body which is not because of immediate external injury. The report is prepared on Shigella
infections which refers to an intestinal disease that is caused of family or set of bacteria that are
shigella. It is a gram negative intracellular bacterian pathogen which initiates infections through
invading cells addition to causes intense inflammation within rectal together with colonic
epithelium. The report includes introduction of pathogens in shigella infections, their key
features, symptoms of disease, diagnosis as well as treatment.
MAIN BODY
Introduction
Shigella infections is bacterial disease which is caused by family of bacteria known as
Shigella. This is group of faculatitive intracellular pathogen which were recognised as etigologic
agents in 1890s. It can be described as gram negative intracellular bacterial pathogen which
starts infections via invading cells addition to cause fierce inflammation on rectal along with
colonic epithelium. The word Pathogen is also termed as infectious agent which is a biological
representative which causes illness, disease, etc to its host (Nisa and Et. Al., 2020). It is basically
used for agents which disrupts normal physiology of multicellular organisms. At same time,
pathogens have high chances to infect unicellular organisms from whole biological kingdoms. In
genus Shigella, pathogens is an agent that causes of reactive arthritis globally.
Shigella is leading bacterial which causes diarrhea and other diseases worldwide. It is
causing around 80 to 165 miillion (an estimated figure) cases. At same time, it is among top four
pathogen which cause moderate to critical diarrhea in children of African along with South Asian
cities. It is analysed that the Shigella infections spread through contaminated food, water and
through contact with feses that are contaminated. At same time, the bacteria of pathogen releases
toxins which irritates intestines (Zarei, Soleimanian-Zad and Ensafi, 2018). The infection can
also passes by direct contact with bacteria in stool which have been touched by multiple infected
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person. Moreover, it often occurs among toddlers that are not fully trained to use toilets. It have
huge chances to spread easily within environments including day care facilities.
Key characteristics
The key characteristics of Shigella infections are as follows:
 Shigella infection belongs to Enterbacteriaceae family which are nonmotile, rod shaped
bacteria, gram negative and non forming spare pathogenic bacteria (Cunha, 2020).
 The common signs of the infection include abdominal pain, diarrhea and many other
illness in which diarrhea can be bloody. These signs lasts till five to seven days ot
sometimes takes months prior bowel habits returns to normal.
 Shigella infections was initially recognised as casual pathogen which is infectious agent
that produces diseases in body of organisms. Pathogens is simply referred as biological
agent or germ that causes huge harm to an individual body (Subramanian, Parent and
Doore, 2020).
 Shigella is leading pathogenic bacteria which causes medium to severe illness that
includes fever, diarrhea and others in various cities. Each of the species have its own
niche that represents their primary competitive along with environmental habitat. The
different types of pathogenic bacteria vary highly in genomic structure.
Disease symptoms as well as epidemiology
Disease symptoms
The symptoms of Shigella infections ranges from mild abdominal discomfort to full
blown dysentery that are characterised as cramps, fever, cramps, slimy consistent tools, blood,
diarrhea and mucus on stools (Case and Dickenson, 2018). The symptoms usually begins a day
or two after contact with contaminated food or infectious person that can take a time of week for
development. Although, there are some people that have no symptoms later they have been
infected with the disease, their feces can remain contagious for some weeks. People that are sick
or infected from Shigella infection starts experiencing symptoms from initial days after they
comes in contact with the germ. Key symptoms of Shigella infections includes the follows:
Stomach pain: Abdomininal pain as well as cramps is one of symptom that shows that a
person is infected from Shigella infections. Organisms feel a sharp cramp or pain in their
stomach together with lower abdomen. Further, they have urge to use bathroom for around 10 to
30 times in a day when they have severe shigella infection.
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Diarrhea: It is also spelled as diarrhoea which is the situation of having more than three
loose, liquid along with watery bowel movement each day (Hlozek, Ravenscroft and Kuttel,
2020). Moreover, diarrhea is major symptom of shigella infection disease. At same time, the
symptom can also be bloody and can occur because of consumption of contaminated food or
water and coming in contact with infected body. Moreover, there are various kinds of diarrhea
including short timing watery diarrhoea, persistent diarrhea and short duration bloody diarrhea.
Seizure: It is popular as epileptic seizure which is duration of symptom of Shigella
infection. It is common neurological symptom of the disease that is caused by shaking hands
with infected person or using contaminated food and water. Its outward effects may vary from
uncontrolled shaking movements that comprises much of body with loss of consciousness,
shaking hands to subtle situational loss of awareness.
Fever: Fever is common symptom of Shigella infection. All people gets a fever from
time to time. It itself do not cause any harm as well as is good thing. It happens when internal
thermostat of body raises temperature above the normal level. Many fevers are caused by
infections, germs or other illness. High fever is main sign of germ that is Shigella infections. At
same time, fever assist the body to fight infections through encouraging natural defence
mechanisms.
All these symptoms of the disease that is shigella infection last between five to seven
days or can take around various months prior bowel habits returns towards entirely to normal.
Furthermore, these are spread through exposure of infected feces (Picker and Wing, 2016).
Epidemiology
Bacterial dysentery because of Shigella Infections is key cause of morality together with
morbidity. The disease is endemic in many countries in which sanitation is poor or not up to
required standards. Typically, 10 to 25 percent of enteric disease as well as 50% of dysentery
including bloody or watery diarrhea among young children is said to Shigella Infections. In
present duration, there is insufficient data exist, however, it is forecasted to have caused deaths
nearby 34000 children within age of 1 to 5 years and around 40000 deaths of population above
age of 5 years. As per Andersson (2020), one million people globally die from Shigella infection
every year. It is highly infectious and if not treated properly then can result in death. In UK, US,
African, South Asian and other developing nations, the disease occurs in around 80 million
people as well as leads to around 700000 death in a year. Infants, elderly along with critically ill
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are susceptible to major sever symptoms of Shigella infections, in contrary, all human beings are
susceptible at some level. It is more serious situation in developing nations in which fatality rates
related to shigellosis epidemics can be 5 to 15%.
In context to rich countries, major cases of Shigella infections are transmitted through
fecel oral spread or contact with population of symptomatic infection. Moreover, outbreaks in
US and UK arises predominantly in institutions like day care centres as well as less commonly
through ordinary source contamination of drinking water and eating substances (Shahin, Bouzari
and Wang, 2019). Furthermore, outbreaks are also associated to untreated recreational water. In
relevance to resource limited nations, both contamination of water supplies or common food and
fecel oral spread are some of key mechanisms that have caused the disease among wider
population.
Whole genome sequencing have increased surveillance along with facilitated detailed
monitoring related to transmission of Shigella infection in UK. Between the year 2015 and 2018,
nearby 4950 confirmed cases of Shigella infections were identified in the period. Among there,
most cases were of adults (82.9%). In these, 59.5% were male and 34.9% were female who
travelled outside UK. It is also perceived that Shigella infection is cyclically epidemic in various
communities of UK, with fitful outbreaks arising (Johnson, 2018). It causes a predicted number
of 500000 illnesses. 40 deaths as well as 6000 hospitalised annually in UK. Worldwide, a
forecasted 80 to 165 million cases of the infection occur annually in which major cases belongs
to developing nations.
Diagnosis and treatment
Diagnosis
Various kinds of germs or bacteria can cause Shigella infections. Having knowledge of
the germ or bacteria that cause illness is key to assist in guiding suitable treatment. For the
purpose of diagnosing Shigella infections, healthcare professionals order laboratory tests so to
determine Shigella infections in stool of a person who is suffering illness (Rikihisa, 2019).
Confirming the disease encompasses taking sample of stool that are to be tested in laboratory for
analysing presence of the disease or its toxins.
The diagnosis of Shigella Infections is done via isolating an organisms from dysentery
fecal sample culture. It is seen that Shigella species are generally negative for motility as well as
do not lactose fermenters, however, they can ferment lactose. Moreover, they so not generate gas
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addition to tend to overall biochemically inert. By using culture of stool sample, a medical
professional suspects shigellosis on the basis of typical symptoms that are abdominal pain,
diarrhea, fever and others in people that are liked to be exposed to the disease (Johnson, 2018).
For confirming diagnosis of the bacteria, doctors take sample and send it towards a laboratory fir
growth as well as determining the type of bacteria. Furthermore, bacteria or germs are always
tested for analysing which antibiotics are effective.
Treatment
There are various people that recover from the bacteria without any treatment in 5 to 8
days or minimum. Moreover, treatment of Shigella infections involves replacing fluids as well as
salts lost due to diarrhea (Kuss-Duerkop and Keestra-Gounder, 2020). At same time,
replacement through mouth is satisfactory for multiple per cent of people, but many requires to
receive fluids in intravenous manner. Shigella Infection mainly runs its course within 5 to 7 days.
Replacing lost fluids by diarrhea or no proper intake due to fever or pain are all treatment that
people needs, if their general heath is accurate and shigella infection is moderate.
Antibiotics must be only used to treat the infection. In many cases, bismuth subsallcylate
is advices for reliving symptoms or treating the disease. Similarly, population suffering from
shiggela infection must not recommended to use any anti-diarrhea medication including
diphenoxylate with atropine (for example, Lomotil) or operamide (for example, Imodium)
because these can make the symptoms or condition even worse. Moreover, healthcare or medical
professionals may prescribe certain antibiotics to some people that have severe or critical
Shigella infections. Antibiotics including ciprofloxacin (to treat adults) and azithromycin (to treat
children) are helpful for intense cases of shigellosis (Zurzolo and Enninga, 2019). It is because
these antibiotics help help infected people ro get better quickly. Health care professionals can
also use laboratory tests for determining the antibiotics that is likely to work faster and makes the
person healthy.
CONCLUSION
From the assessment, it is concluded that Shigella Infections is genus of germs or bacteria
that is non spore forming, gram negative, non motile, facultative anaerobic and rod shaped
bacterial pathogen which causes infections in body. Signs and symptoms that shows an
organisms suffering from Shigella infection includes stomach pain, fever, diarrhea and Seizure.
It is transmitted within a people through fecal oral route of population that are infected with the
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bacteria. To prevent the disease, washing hands prior handling food, using improved sanitation,
managing personal hygiene and efficacious vaccine complements. The infection is treated
through replacing fluids together with salt and consumption of antibiotics as per prescribed by
health care professionals.
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REFERENCES
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Biochemistry. 57(15). pp.2266-2277.
Hlozek, J., Ravenscroft, N. and Kuttel, M. M., 2020. Effects of Glucosylation and O-Acetylation
on the Conformation of Shigella flexneri Serogroup 2 O-Antigen Vaccine Targets. The
Journal of Physical Chemistry B. 124(14). pp.2806-2814.
Johnson, D. I., 2018. Shigella spp. In Bacterial pathogens and their virulence factors (pp. 363-
379). Springer, Cham.
Johnson, D. I., 2018. Shigella spp. In Bacterial pathogens and their virulence factors (pp. 363-
379). Springer, Cham.
Kuss-Duerkop, S. K. and Keestra-Gounder, A. M., 2020. NOD1 and NOD2 Activation by
Diverse Stimuli: a Possible Role for Sensing Pathogen-Induced Endoplasmic Reticulum
Stress. Infection and Immunity. 88(7).
Lampel, K. A., Formal, S. B. and Maurelli, A. T., 2018. A Brief History of Shigella. EcoSal
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Nisa, I. and Et. Al., 2020. Shigella flexneri: an emerging pathogen. Folia Microbiologica, pp.1-
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Picker, M. A. and Wing, H. J., 2016. H-NS, its family members and their regulation of virulence
genes in Shigella species. Genes. 7(12). p.112.
Rikihisa, Y., 2019. Subversion of RAB5-regulated autophagy by the intracellular pathogen
Ehrlichia chaffeensis. Small GTPases. 10(5). pp.343-349.
Shahin, K., Bouzari, M. and Wang, R., 2019. Complete genome sequence analysis of a lytic
Shigella flexneri vB_SflS-ISF001 bacteriophage. Turkish Journal of Biology. 43(2).
pp.99-112.
Subramanian, S., Parent, K. N. and Doore, S. M., 2020. Ecology, Structure, and Evolution of
Shigella Phages. Annual review of virology. 7.
Zarei, S. S., Soleimanian-Zad, S. and Ensafi, A. A., 2018. An impedimetric aptasensor for
Shigella dysenteriae using a gold nanoparticle-modified glassy carbon
electrode. Microchimica Acta. 185(12). p.538.
Zurzolo, C. and Enninga, J., 2019. The best of both worlds-bringing together cell biology and
infection at the Institut Pasteur. Microbes and Infection. 21(5-6), pp.254-262.
Online:
Andersson. J. 2020. What is shigella? What you need to know about bacteria that killed Brit
couple in Egypt. [Online]. Available through: <https://inews.co.uk/news/shigella-what-
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Cunha. J. P. 2020. Shigella Infection. [Online]. Available through:
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