Synonyms
Shigellosis
Definition
Dysentery is an infection of the digestive tract, characterized by inflammation of the colon wall, frequent loose stools, cramping abdominal pain, appearance of mucus, blood and pus in the feces.
Bacillary dysentery is a type of dysentery that is caused by bacteria of the genus Shigella, although sometimes Campylobacter, Salmonella, and other related bacteria may cause clinically similar diseases. In the Western world, bacillary dysentery is most commonly transmitted through fecal-oral route, e.g., during care for a sick person or through a variety of household items contaminated with secretions of the patient. It is highly contagious as symptoms may result from ingestion of only 10–100 organisms. As such, Shigella outbreaks are often associated with crowded living conditions and less than optimal hygiene conditions, e.g., military troops deployed in camps, nursing homes, day-care centers, and prions. Shigellacontamination can also occur during sexual...
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References and Further Reading
Edwards, B. H. (1999). Salmonella and Shigella species. Clinics in Laboratory Medicine, 19, 469.
Niyogi, S. K. (2005). Shigellosis. Journal of Microbiology, 43, 133–143.
Pfeiffer, M. L., Dupont, H. L., & Ochoa, T. J. (2012). The patient presenting with acute dysentery–A systematic review. Journal of Infection, 64, 374–386.
Phalipon, A., & Sansonetti, P. J. (2003). Shigellosis: Innate mechanisms of inflammatory destruction of the intestinal epithelium, adaptive immune response, and vaccine development. Critical Reviews in Immunology, 23, 371–401.
Walker, C. L. F., Applegate, J. A., & Black, R. E. (2012). Haemolytic-uraemic syndrome as a sequela of diarrhoeal disease. Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 30, 257–261.
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Sagaert, X. (2017). Dysentery, Bacillary. In: Carneiro, F., Chaves, P., Ensari, A. (eds) Pathology of the Gastrointestinal Tract. Encyclopedia of Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40560-5_1458
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40560-5_1458
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