Shigella is the formal name for the virus, a type of enteric bacteria that can affect humans and other primates. Ingesting the Shigella bacteria produces the disease known by medical professionals as shigellosis. It’s a gastrointestinal infection that can produce abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, fever and the strange sensation of feeling like you have to defecate even after you’ve emptied your bowels.
Reports indicate Shigella is developing resistance to standard antibiotics and is spreading rapidly throughout the globe, thanks to travelers.
It is the third most-common cause of gastroenteritis among the United States population, and worldwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that there are 165 million cases per year. That accounts for 600 deaths in the United States and an estimated 300,000 illnesses, with more than 6,000 of those requiring hospitalization. It’s even worse in international countries with poorer medical facilities and may account for more than million deaths. Although it mainly lasts for just a few days, some symptoms can last for months.
What is this deadly bacteria? It is highly contagious and is easily transmitted to others, even those who may have encountered only a tiny amount of infected fecal matter, the main source of transmission.
The bacterium was named after the scientists who first discovered it at the end of the 19th century. Japanese scientist Kiyoshi Shiga was looking into the causes of an outbreak of dysentery in his country when he first discovered it in 1896. The research scientist dedicated his life to eradicating the rod-shaped bacteria, one of several dysentery bacilli.