Shigella

Is shigella diarrheal or a dsysenteric disease?

• it is a bacillary dysentery ( damage to the intestinal epithelium)

What is dysentery?

• damage to the intestinal lining

• diarrhea is often a symptom of dysentery

• often accompanied by blood and/or white blood cells in the stool

What are the symptoms of Shigella aka Shigellosis

bloody stool, high fever, intestinal pain, diarrhea, and pus, immune cells in the feces

Is Shigella non-invasive, or invasive? 

Shigella is invasive due to an exotoxin ( Shiga toxin)

Does it produce a toxin?

• Yes, shigella produces an exotoxin

What does the exotoxin, Shiga toxin, cause?

• kills infected, nearby cells

• shiga toxin causes cell death and can damage the kidneys

• invasive growth triggers inflammation

How does Shigella evade the immune system?

• dig into the lining if the epithelium and invade either cells directly or in the spaces between them

• use their active invasive utility system to push around/ spread through tissues

• delays the immune response to prolong infection

• infects large intestine

What other food-borne pathogen uses a similar technique?

similar to E.coli, STEC - enterohemorrhagic 

How are Shigella infections acquired?

• Shigellosis is acquired form person to person

• Outbreaks from schools

• Some individual carriers can be asymptomatic

How is Shigellosis treated> Prevented?

Treatment = antibiotics/ hydration

Prevention = good hygiene/ sanitization