Home » News » Alarm at the increase in shigella infections in the US

Alarm at the increase in shigella infections in the US

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warn that it is a serious threat to public health.

The alarms in the US health system have been activated by the triggering of shigella infections, a type of bacteria that causes stomach symptoms and shows resistance to antibiotics, which has worried the US health authorities.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC for its acronym in English) warn that it is “a serious threat to public health”, since drugs that previously worked to treat these cases no longer respond to treatment.

Health experts explain that symptoms begin 1 or 2 days after infection and include bloody or prolonged diarrhea, fever, as well as stomach pain and the urge to defecate, even if there is no stool in the intestines.

Man travels to the US with humanitarian parole and is detained upon arrival

These symptoms remain in the patient’s body between 5 and 7 days, although sometimes it can take months for the bowel movements to normalize. The bacteria that cause shigellosis (shigella) are found in the feces of sick people while they have diarrhea and for a week or two after it passes.

According to a report published by univisión.com, the bacteria is highly contagious and is transmitted through fecal-oral contact, from person to person, and through sexual activity.

recommendations

Shigellosis, as the infection caused by shigella is known, is quite common, with some 450,000 infections reported each year. Likewise, it is handled that some 6,400 are hospitalized annually for this cause.

The CDC mentions that most patients manage to recover on their own, others instead become more severely ill, especially those with a compromised immune system.

In February, the UK announced an outbreak of 200 infections with high resistance to antibiotics, possibly stemming from a single case.

Young children have been the most affected by this stomach infection, now in the alert the CDC indicates that an increase in the antibiotic-resistant version of this bacterium has been observed in adults, especially in gay men, bisexuals and men who have relationships with men, as well as travelers, HIV patients, and the homeless.

Biden biopsy confirms basal cell carcinoma and removal of cancerous tissue

Among the recommendations, they advise washing your hands with soap and water frequently, especially before having sex, preparing food or eating, as well as after using the bathroom, changing a diaper or cleaning the toilet.

Also be careful when changing diapers and put it immediately in a bag in the trash, clean any dirt that has been left on the surface. Wash hands frequently.

Avoid swallowing water from lakes, pools or rivers. When traveling be careful with the water you drink and what you eat. If your partner has diarrhea, don’t have sex for two weeks after it ends.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.