Shigellosis (Shigella Infection) FAQs
What You Need to Know About: Shigellosis
Shigellosis is an illness caused by Shigella bacteria. The most common symptoms are:
These symptoms will usually go away by themselves in 4 to 7 days, however treatment with antibiotics may relieve your symptoms and make them go away faster.
By hand-to-mouth contact with stool (feces) from a sick person or animal, eating contaminated foods, or drinking contaminated water.
You are more likely to get shigellosis if you:
Always wash your hands:
Avoid thawing foods on counters or in sinks and refrigerate leftovers right away
Avoid drinking water from ponds, lakes, rivers, or swimming pools
When traveling to a country where the water supply may be unsafe, boil your water or bring bottled water. Ask for drinks without ice
Avoid sexual practices that bring you into contact with stool
Drink plenty of fluids and get extra rest. Visit your physician as soon as possible. Your doctor may have your stool tested for Shigella bacteria and may put you on a course of antibiotics. You should begin to feel better while taking the antibiotics. Children should not return to day care or school and foodhandlers should not return to work until diarrhea and fever go away.
Disease Surveillance and Epidemiology Section
Mail Code: 3082
P.O. Box 149347
Austin , TX 78714-9347
United States
Disease Surveillance and Epidemiology Section
Moreton Building, Suite M-631
1100 West 49th Street
Austin , TX 78756-3199
United States