Is dysentery transmitted by airborne droplets. How is dysentery transmitted?

is an acute intestinal infection caused by bacteria of the genus Shigella, characterized by the predominant localization of the pathological process in the mucous membrane of the large intestine. Dysentery is transmitted by the fecal-oral route (food or water). Clinically, a patient with dysentery has diarrhea, abdominal pain, tenesmus, intoxication syndrome (weakness, fatigue, nausea). The diagnosis of dysentery is established by isolating the pathogen from the patient's feces, with Grigoriev-Shiga dysentery - from the blood. Treatment is carried out mainly on an outpatient basis and consists of rehydration, antibacterial and detoxification therapy.

General information

is an acute intestinal infection caused by bacteria of the genus Shigella, characterized by the predominant localization of the pathological process in the mucous membrane of the large intestine.

Exciter characteristic

The causative agents of dysentery are shigella, currently represented by four species (S. dysenteriae, S.flexneri, S. boydii, S. Sonnei), each of which (with the exception of Sonne's shigella) is in turn divided into serovars, which currently number over fifty. The population of S. Sonnei is homogeneous in antigenic composition, but differs in the ability to produce various enzymes. Shigella are immobile gram-negative rods, do not form spores, multiply well on nutrient media, and are usually unstable in the external environment.

The optimal temperature environment for shigella is 37 °C, Sonne rods are capable of reproduction at a temperature of 10-15 °C, can form colonies in milk and dairy products, can remain viable in water for a long time (like Flexner's shigella), resistant to antibacterial agents . Shigella quickly die when heated: instantly - when boiled, after 10 minutes - at a temperature of more than 60 degrees.

The reservoir and source of dysentery is a person - a sick or asymptomatic carrier. Patients with mild or obliterated form of dysentery are of the greatest epidemiological significance, especially those related to the food industry and public catering establishments. Shigella are isolated from the body of an infected person, starting from the first days of clinical symptoms, infectiousness persists for 7-10 days, followed by a period of convalescence, in which, however, the isolation of bacteria is also possible (sometimes it can last several weeks and months).

Flexner's dysentery is most prone to becoming chronic, the least tendency to become chronic is observed with infection caused by Sonne bacteria. Dysentery is transmitted by the fecal-oral mechanism mainly by food (Sonne's dysentery) or water (Flexner's dysentery) route. When transmitting Grigoriev-Shiga dysentery, a predominantly contact-household transmission route is realized.

People have a high natural susceptibility to infection; after suffering from dysentery, unstable type-specific immunity is formed. Those who have recovered from Flexner's dysentery can maintain post-infection immunity, which protects against re-infection for several years.

The pathogenesis of dysentery

Shigella enter the digestive system with food or water (partially dying under the influence of the acidic contents of the stomach and normal intestinal biocenosis) and reach the large intestine, partially penetrating into its mucous membrane and causing an inflammatory reaction. The mucosa affected by shigella is prone to the formation of areas of erosion, ulcers, and hemorrhages. Toxins released by bacteria disrupt digestion, and the presence of Shigella destroys the natural biobalance of the intestinal flora.

Classification

The clinical classification of dysentery is currently in use. Its acute form is distinguished (it differs in its predominant symptoms into typical colitis and atypical gastroenteritis), chronic dysentery (recurrent and continuous) and bacterial excretion (convalescent or subclinical).

Symptoms of dysentery

The incubation period of acute dysentery can last from one day to a week, most often it is 2-3 days. The colitis variant of dysentery usually begins acutely, the body temperature rises to febrile values, symptoms of intoxication appear. Appetite is markedly reduced, may be completely absent. Sometimes there is nausea, vomiting. Patients complain of intense cutting pain in the abdomen, initially diffuse, later concentrated in the right iliac region and lower abdomen. The pain is accompanied by frequent (up to 10 times a day) diarrhea, bowel movements quickly lose their fecal consistency, become scarce, and pathological impurities are noted in them - blood, mucus, sometimes pus ("rectal spit"). The urge to defecate is excruciatingly painful (tenesmus), sometimes false. The total number of daily bowel movements, as a rule, is not large.

On examination, the tongue is dry, coated with plaque, tachycardia, and sometimes arterial hypotension. Acute clinical symptoms usually begin to subside and finally fade away by the end of the first week, the beginning of the second, but ulcerative mucosal defects usually heal completely within a month. The severity of the course of the colitis variant is determined by the intensity of the intoxication and pain syndrome and the duration of the acute period. In severe cases, disorders of consciousness caused by severe intoxication are noted, the frequency of stools (like “rectal spitting” or “meat slops”) reaches dozens of times a day, pain in the abdomen is excruciating, significant hemodynamic disturbances are noted.

Acute dysentery in the gastroenteric variant is characterized by a short incubation period (6-8 hours) and predominantly enteral symptoms against the background of general intoxication syndrome: nausea, repeated vomiting. The course resembles that of salmonellosis or toxic infection. The pain in this form of dysentery is localized in the epigastric region and around the navel, has a cramping character, the stool is liquid and plentiful, there are no pathological impurities, with intense loss of fluid, dehydration syndrome may occur. Symptoms of the gastroenteric form are violent, but short-lived.

Initially, gastroenterocolitic dysentery also resembles food poisoning in its course, later colitis symptoms begin to join: mucus and bloody streaks in the feces. The severity of the course of the gastroenterocolitis form is determined by the severity of dehydration.

Dysentery of the erased course today occurs quite often. Discomfort, moderate pain in the abdomen, mushy stools 1-2 times a day, mostly without impurities, hyperthermia and intoxication are absent (or extremely insignificant). Dysentery lasting more than three months is considered chronic. At present, cases of chronic dysentery in developed countries are rare. The recurrent variant is a periodic episodes of the clinical picture of acute dysentery, interspersed with periods of remission, when patients feel relatively well.

Continuous chronic dysentery leads to the development of severe digestive disorders, organic changes in the mucous membrane of the intestinal wall. Intoxication symptoms with continuous chronic dysentery are usually absent, there is constant daily diarrhea, stools are mushy, may have a greenish tint. Chronic malabsorption leads to weight loss, hypovitaminosis, and the development of malabsorption syndrome. Convalescent bacterial excretion is usually observed after an acute infection, subclinical - occurs when dysentery is transferred in an erased form.

Complications

Complications at the current level of medical care are extremely rare, mainly in the case of severe Grigoriev-Shiga dysentery. This form of infection can be complicated by toxic shock, intestinal perforation, peritonitis. In addition, the development of intestinal paresis is likely.

Dysentery with intense prolonged diarrhea can be complicated by hemorrhoids, anal fissure, prolapse of the rectum. In many cases, dysentery contributes to the development of dysbacteriosis.

Diagnostics

The most specific bacteriological diagnosis. The pathogen is usually isolated from feces, and in the case of Grigoriev-Shiga dysentery, from blood. Since the increase in the titer of specific antibodies is rather slow, serological diagnostic methods (RNGA) have a retrospective value. Increasingly, the laboratory practice of diagnosing dysentery includes the detection of Shigella antigens in feces (usually performed using RCA, RLA, ELISA and RNGA with antibody diagnosticum), the complement binding reaction and aggregate hemagglutination.

As a general diagnostic measures, various laboratory methods are used to determine the severity and prevalence of the process, to identify metabolic disorders. Stool is analyzed for dysbacteriosis and coprogram. Endoscopic examination (sigmoidoscopy) can often provide the necessary information for a differential diagnosis in doubtful cases. For the same purpose, patients with dysentery, depending on its clinical form, may need to consult a gastroenterologist or proctologist.

Treatment of dysentery

Mild forms of dysentery are treated on an outpatient basis, inpatient treatment is indicated for people with a severe infection, complicated forms. Patients are also hospitalized according to epidemiological indications, in old age, with concomitant chronic diseases, and children of the first year of life. Patients are prescribed bed rest for fever and intoxication, dietary nutrition (in the acute period - diet No. 4, with diarrhea subsiding - table No. 13).

Etiotropic therapy of acute dysentery consists in prescribing a 5-7-day course of antibacterial agents (antibiotics of the fluoroquinolone, tetracycline series, ampicillin, cotrimoxazole, cephalosporins). Antibiotics are prescribed for severe and moderate forms. Taking into account the ability of antibacterial drugs to aggravate dysbacteriosis, eubiotics are used in combination in a course of 3-4 weeks.

If necessary, detoxification therapy is performed (depending on the severity of detoxification, drugs are prescribed orally or parenterally). Absorption disorders are corrected with the help of enzyme preparations (pancreatin, lipase, amylase, protease). According to indications, immunomodulators, antispasmodics, astringents, enterosorbents are prescribed.

To accelerate regenerative processes and improve the condition of the mucosa during the period of convalescence, microclysters with infusion of eucalyptus and chamomile, rosehip and sea buckthorn oil, and vinyline are recommended. Chronic dysentery is treated in the same way as acute dysentery, but antibiotic therapy is usually less effective. The appointment of therapeutic enemas, physiotherapy, bacterial agents to restore normal intestinal microflora is recommended.

Forecast and prevention

The prognosis is predominantly favorable, with timely complex treatment of acute forms of dysentery, the chronization of the process is extremely rare. In some cases, after the transfer of infection, residual functional disorders of the large intestine (postdysenteric colitis) may persist.

General measures for the prevention of dysentery include the observance of sanitary and hygienic standards in everyday life, in food production and at catering establishments, monitoring the state of water sources, cleaning sewage waste (especially disinfection of wastewater from medical institutions).

Patients with dysentery are discharged from the hospital no earlier than three days after clinical recovery with a negative single bacteriological test (material for bacteriological examination is taken no earlier than 2 days after the end of treatment). Food industry workers and other persons equated to them are subject to discharge after a double negative result of bacteriological analysis.

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"Disease of dirty hands" or dysentery is a common occurrence in children's groups, but this disease does not bypass the adult population either. To deliver an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to know the symptoms of the disease and to conduct a bacteriological examination without fail. To prevent the development and spread of infection, one should take into account the ways in which dysentery spreads, this knowledge will help maintain health.

What is dysentery

Dysentery is an infection belonging to the group of acute intestinal diseases. There are seasonal outbreaks of dysentery in the warm season (spring, summer).

  • hyperthermia- an increase in body temperature. Most often, it is with this symptom that dysentery begins. Patients complain of severe or moderate chills, or vice versa, fever. They feel body aches and weakness;
  • Stomach ache(colitis form of the disease) or in the stomach (gastroenteric variant of the course). Pain sensations can be determined throughout the abdomen if the patient has gastroenterocolitic dysentery. In this case, the upper and lower parts of the digestive tract are affected;
  • Frequent bowel movements(up to 20 times a day or more). At first, the stool has a fecal character, but over time, mucus and streaks of blood appear in it. The fecal character of the stool is lost, a small amount of mucus mixed with blood and, in rare cases, pus (“rectal spit”);
  • Tenesmus- these are painful urges to the act of defecation, which often remain inconclusive (that is, bowel movement does not occur). Patients complain of drawing pain in the rectum.

The causative agent of dysentery

The causative agent of dysentery is the Shigella bacterium - it was from it that the second name of the infection appeared. The study of bacteria - causative agents of dysentery is engaged in such a science as microbiology.

The most pathogenic for humans are 4 types of bacteria: Sonne, Grioriev-Shiga, Flexner and Boyd.

Shigella characteristic:

  • They are shaped like sticks;
  • Gram-negative;
  • motionless;
  • Not able to form spores and capsules;
  • They multiply well on ordinary nutrient media, as well as in the intestinal mucosa;
  • They remain active and viable at an ambient temperature of about 37 degrees;
  • They are stored for a long time in water, meat, dairy products, salads with mayonnaise and cream;
  • Insensitive to many groups of antibacterial drugs. This is due to the widespread use of antibiotics at the present time and their uncontrolled intake;
  • They die under the influence of disinfectant solutions, as well as at high and low temperatures. Freezing leads to the death of bacteria found in water and food. Boiling kills shigella immediately, and when heated to 60 degrees, they die after 10-15 minutes.

Of particular danger are patients with a mild form of dysentery, as well as bacterial carriers, that is, people who do not have clinical manifestations (they are healthy), but they secrete bacteria. Carriage cannot be suspected, it is detected by chance. However, most often, a careful examination of such patients reveals a latent course of infection.

If the bacteriocarrier works in a public catering establishment, then it can become a source of the spread of such an infection as dysentery.

Ways of transmission of shigellosis

To answer the question of how dysentery is transmitted, it is necessary to consider the mechanism and factors of the development of the disease, that is, the causes. The mechanism of occurrence of the disease is fecal-oral. That is, the release of pathogenic microflora to patients occurs with feces, but their penetration into the body of a healthy person is carried out through the oral cavity. That is why infection with dysentery occurs quite easily and quickly.

There are several ways of transmission of dysentery:

  • Contact household. The main route of transmission of dysentery is characteristic of Grigoriev-Shiga dysentery. In this case, you can easily become infected with dysentery when using the same dishes or hygiene items with a sick person or bacteria carrier. The seeding of household items and toys occurs when elementary rules of personal hygiene are not observed. Children often forget to wash their hands after using the bathroom and before eating, and often put toys and fingers in their mouths;
  • food way characteristic of Sonne's shigellosis. Bacteria enter the food and then into the human body. To avoid infection, it is necessary to wash your hands thoroughly before preparing food, and also observe the terms and conditions for storing food. Particular attention should be paid to dishes seasoned with mayonnaise, sour cream, as well as confectionery with cream and cream;
  • Drinking. This route of transmission is no less popular. Shigella Flexner enters the body with water. This happens when drinking water of questionable quality. It should be remembered that water taken from a column or well must be boiled. You can safely drink bottled or filtered water. You should also avoid unauthorized places for swimming (wild beaches).

Separately, it is customary to single out the transmissible route of infection transmission. In this case, the bacteria are carried on the feet of flies and other insects that come into contact with food. Sitting on the products, they leave harmful microorganisms on them.

Diagnostics

Diagnostic measures are carried out in the infectious diseases department of the hospital, where all patients with fever and diarrhea are admitted.

The survey includes:

  • Examination and questioning of the patient. The doctor must find out the cause of the infection, as well as ask about the patient's complaints. It is necessary to measure body temperature and blood pressure, examine the skin;
  • Laboratory blood test, at which an increased number of leukocytes and an accelerated ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) are detected;
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  • ELISA(enzymatic immunoassay) of blood, which allows you to determine the presence of antibodies to the causative agent of the disease;
  • Bacteriological analysis of feces. Sowing the pathogen and determining sensitivity to antibiotics;
  • General urine analysis. Protein and leukocytes can be determined, but most often the urine remains unchanged;
  • Coprological examination of feces. In the stool, mucus, red blood cells and pus are found.

Prevention

Prevention is aimed at preventing the occurrence and development of dysentery. What are preventive measures? It should be noted that they consist in hygiene standards that must be observed daily by all people.

Basic rules for the prevention of dysentery:

  • Washing hands before eating, as well as after visiting the toilet, shop and other public places. If it is not possible to wash your hands, then you can use antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizers;
  • Drink good quality water;
  • Swim only on official beaches;
  • When buying fruits and vegetables, you should pay attention to their quality. You can not buy spoiled and cut fruits;
  • Meat and dairy products can be purchased only in verified places. Spontaneous markets and tents should be avoided. Preference is given to food in the original packaging, which indicates the period and storage conditions. Also, you can not eat food that has expired;
  • If the quality of the products is in doubt, it is necessary to ask the seller for a quality certificate;
  • Fruits and vegetables should be thoroughly washed, even those that need to be peeled (oranges, tangerines, bananas, and so on). You can use a brush, as well as special detergents.

Definition

Dysentery is an acute infectious (contagious) disease that can affect people at any age. Most often, dysentery occurs in children of the first years of life, and often even in children in the first half of the year.

Causes

The microbes that cause dysentery multiply in the intestines and are excreted along with the feces of a sick person. In the absence of sewerage, they can pollute the soil and water. In case of unhygienic care of patients, products and objects are contaminated, on which even insignificant particles of defecation fall (for example, from dust or from dirty hands). The carriers of dysenteric microbes are often flies, which, flying from garbage and sewage to food, charge them.

Dysentery microbes retain the ability to cause disease for a long time. So, for example, in the soil, when it is contaminated with feces, dysentery microbes can remain alive for up to 3 months even in winter. In milk, butter, cheese, vegetables, they remain for about 10 days. They survive somewhat less on bread, on clothes, underwear, dishes, books and other items that have been in contact with the patient. Dysentery germs are very sensitive to sunlight and die in the sun within a few hours. Dysentery microbes can be quickly killed with the help of the so-called disinfectant liquid solutions of carbolic acid, sublimate, formalin, lysol, chloramine, alcohol, and also by boiling for 15-20 minutes.

Thus, dysentery can only be contracted by improper handling of stools: therefore, it is believed that dysentery is a disease that is spread by unscrupulous people.

During the winter, there are significantly fewer diseases, in the hot season the number of patients increases.

The large spread of dysentery in hot weather depends on a number of reasons. First, dysentery microbes develop more easily in warmth; secondly, they are easily carried by flies. In addition, in the summer people usually eat more vegetables and fruits, which, if hygiene rules are not followed, can get germs. In addition, excessive consumption of vegetables, fruits and berries contributes to intestinal diseases.

Young children - up to 3 years old - are more likely to suffer from dysentery, endure it more severely than adults and older children.

Especially difficult to tolerate dysentery are children who are bottle-fed, emaciated, and rickets. In these children, the body's resistance is significantly weakened, as a result of which, when they get dysentery, they experience various complications, such as pneumonia, inflammation of the renal pelvis, and others.

However, it should be borne in mind that infection with dysentery microbes does not always cause disease: strong, healthy people are able to provide such resistance to microbes that have entered their body that the microbes quickly die, so that the disease does not develop.

Symptoms

The dysenteric microbe, entering the human intestine, causes inflammation of the colon mucosa. As a result, the disease manifests itself mainly in the form of diarrhea, general malaise and fever. Initially, the stool is liquid, rapid. In the future, it becomes very frequent - up to 20-30 times a day, and mucus appears in the feces and often blood in the form of streaks mixed with mucus.

Older children with illness complain of abdominal pain, often ask for a potty, push; at the same time, each time a small amount of feces is released, and sometimes instead of feces - only a small amount of mucus mixed with blood. Small children who get dirty in the diaper, with every attack of pain in the intestines, also push, this is manifested in them by a strong reddening of the face and a painful cry, after which they secrete a small amount of mucus. Blood in the feces is observed less frequently than in older children. It is necessary to carefully examine each diaper to detect streaks, which are a sure sign of dysentery.

In children in the first year of life, especially up to six months, the so-called erased forms of dysentery are observed, in which there is no blood in the stool, and a small amount of mucus. In these cases, only a careful examination by a doctor and laboratory tests can detect dysentery.

In mild cases, the temperature is usually low, the general condition of the patient may be satisfactory; the disease is manifested almost exclusively by frequent stools mixed with mucus, and sometimes blood.

During epidemics, dysentery is sometimes observed, especially among adults and older children, so mild forms of the disease that the patients carry it on their feet, which manifests itself only in a small diarrhea that lasts one or two days. Not only those around, but the patients themselves sometimes do not even know that they are sick. Such patients are especially dangerous for others, because, without taking the necessary precautions, they are carriers of infection.

With toxic forms of dysentery, the general condition in children is very severe. At the beginning of the disease, there is often a sharp excitement of the child, sometimes convulsions of the whole body. In young children, severe forms of dysentery are observed especially often. There are even cases when inflammation of the intestinal mucosa can be insignificant, and there are a lot of toxins in the blood and organs. In such cases, there may be no blood in the stool, only a small amount of mucus is noted, but the general condition of the child is very difficult, and complications from the lungs, kidneys and other organons affected by toxins may occur in the future.

As mentioned above, the danger of dysentery depends not only on the amount of toxins secreted by dysentery microbes, but also on the state of the organism of the sick child. Healthy children are able to fight microbes and their toxins themselves, making them almost harmless to themselves; on the contrary, the body of weakened children is dominated by the ability to neutralize toxins, as a result of which their activity of anger often weakens, complications arise from which they can die.

Diagnostics

Diarrhea with impurities of blood or mucus is an urgent reason to see a doctor. Diagnosis of dysentery includes:

  • stool analysis. Dysentery is diagnosed by testing a sample of stool (feces) for bacteria or amoebas that cause dysentery;
  • blood test. A blood sample reveals infection-fighting antibodies that are likely to be present in amoebic dysentery;
  • colonoscopy. A colonoscopy is a type of endoscopy that is used to examine the bowel.

Prevention

At the first postscript of the disease, it is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible. The sooner treatment begins, the sooner the multiplication of microbes in the intestine can stop and the less toxins will be released. With a belated onset and insufficient treatment, dysentery often takes on a chronic form with frequent recurrences of the disease, especially in children who are debilitated or weakened by previous diseases. In such children, the stool remains unstable for a long time; there are periods of normal stool and good condition of the child, which are replaced by oblique exacerbations of the disease. A correct, complete diet raises the patient's strength to fight germs. Good care can prevent various complications. It must be remembered that patients with a chronic form can be a source of infection.

From what has been said above about the causes of dysentery and the severity of this disease, it becomes clear what measures must be taken in order to prevent this disease.

The main thing is to avoid the possibility of spreading the infection.

Linen, diapers are soaked in a disinfectant liquid for one hour before washing, after which they are washed and boiled. Caregivers should wash their hands frequently, especially before eating.

Finally, it must be borne in mind that flies can carry infection over long distances and in this way infect food, utensils, etc. Therefore, the fight against flies is of great importance.

It is necessary to monitor the cleanliness of everything that can get into the child's mouth. Give milk only well boiled. Wash fruits thoroughly with cold water and then pour over with boiling water. Wash your child's hands before every meal.

In addition, it is necessary to take care of strengthening the body of the child, so that in case of infection, he can better deal with microbes and their toxins. To do this, it is important to properly feed the child and harden his body, that is, keep him in the fresh air for a long time, bathe often, and wipe daily with warm boiled water.

Thanks to vaccinations, the child's body develops an antidote in advance against the toxins that dysentery microbes secrete. If a child is infected, vaccination can protect him from the disease. If vaccinated children get sick with dysentery, then they tolerate the disease more easily and complications are less likely to be observed. Vaccination is carried out using the so-called dysentery vaccine, which is given to the child orally in the form of tablets or liquid on an empty stomach for three days in a row (this is usually done by a sister from a consultation, coming to the child's house before his first feeding).

Dysentery- a common intestinal infection that affects both adults and children. Prefers to live in humid and hot climates. The main causative agent of the disease is the Shigella bacterium, a pathogenic microorganism with more than 100 species and subspecies. However, only a few provide a danger to humans. Further, we will answer in more detail the question of interest to many: how is dysentery transmitted?

As mentioned above, dysentery is caused by pathogenic bacteria of the genus shigella. This type of microorganisms is immobile sticks, they do not form either spores or capsules, but they produce two toxins - endotoxin (released during the destruction of bacteria) and exotoxin (they have a more pronounced toxicity compared to endotoxins). Endotoxin, in turn, consists of three elements: cytotoxin, which has the ability to damage intestinal cells; enterocyte and enterotoxin, causing nausea and diarrhea.


Of the many genera of Shigella, only 4 pathogenic bacteria are dangerous to humans: Grigorieva - Shig, Flexner, Sonne and Boyd. Each microorganism has its own biochemical composition and is further subdivided into many variants (about 40 serotypes).

Dysentery caused by microorganisms Grigorieva - Shiga, has a rather severe symptomatology and, if contacted to the infectious diseases department at a late stage, can lead to death.

This phenomenon is due to the fact that the bacterium has the best "fighting qualities", namely:

  • adhesion - the ability to tightly attach to intestinal cells;
  • invasion - the ability to quickly penetrate into the intestinal cell;
  • the speed of formation of toxic poison;
  • the ability to produce (multiply) inside the intestinal cells.

Compared with other types of infection, this bacterium is the most powerful, causing a complex pathological process. Other types of bacteria have a more gentle effect and even in the later stages are amenable to therapy.

Dysentery: how it is transmitted, the main ways of infection

Today, there are three ways by which dysentery infection is possible:

  • household contact - the infection can be transmitted through ordinary hygiene items, touch and other similar contacts;
  • water - very often shigella is found in lakes, rivers, reservoirs, as well as in the public water supply network;
  • food - infection through improperly or poorly processed foods, as well as through poorly washed foods.

Do not forget about some factors that contribute to the further development of infection:

  • functional impairment of the immune system;
  • weakened organism during therapy with antibiotics and antibacterial drugs;
  • disease outbreaks that are seasonal or epidemic;
  • recent surgical intervention on the organs of the gastrointestinal tract.

Where and how is it most likely to get infected?

The first danger of infection is the high resistance of the pathogen to various temperature conditions and the ability to be stored in some products for quite a long time.

So, shigella, once in butter, can retain its pathogenicity for up to 6-8 months, in water - 3 months, while periodically producing.

Dairy products, namely milk, remain the most dangerous. When infected with milk, very severe cases of infection occur, up to death. The phenomenon is associated with the cupping of the full volume of the product by bacteria, and not its surface, as, for example, in cottage cheese or butter creams. Thus, the amount of pathogenic microflora increases significantly, which leads to a severe course of dysentery.



You can find shigella in other products: meat, fish, salads with mayonnaise, various desserts and much more. This is primarily due to poor processing of products or kitchen workers who do not adhere to hygiene and sanitary standards.

Shigella: epidemiology of infection

Dysentery is an anthroponotic infection, that is, it is transmitted exclusively among people; it is impossible to get infected from animals.

The infection is transmitted through household items, water, food, etc. Despite the wide route of transmission of infection, its mechanism is always the same - fecal-oral. This means that the bacteria from the feces must somehow get into the mouth. According to statistics, the highest percentage of infection is associated with water and food.

As a rule, the infection often lives in canteens of public institutions and on the shelves of grocery stores.

Signs of the disease appear when the patient swallows at least 100 "pieces" of pathogenic bacteria. Microorganisms enter the environment already from patients who are carriers of Shigella. The situation can be complicated by a decrease in the functioning of the immune system, various chronic pathologies and living in areas where the risk of infection is extremely high.


There is a curious fact - the susceptibility of people to dysentery is not the same. A number of laboratory tests have shown that people with type 2 blood and a negative Rh factor tolerate the infection more severely, symptoms are more pronounced, and therapy is longer.

After complete recovery, the infection leaves antimicrobial immunity, however, the number of antibodies in the patient decreases, so the risk of recurrence of dysentery is very high, and re-infection is possible after a year.

The question of which route of transmission of dysentery is of paramount importance. According to statistics, children who regularly attend school and kindergartens are most often affected by the disease. It is necessary for a child not to wash his hands at least once or to wash them badly after visiting the toilet, as the infection rate becomes very high.

There is also evidence that residents of megacities are much more likely to experience infection than residents of small towns or villages.

Experts associate this phenomenon with urban water supply networks, as well as power supply networks, including fast ones. According to the data, outbreaks of dysentery were noted precisely in large cities with a million population.

How to avoid infection: simple rules of prevention

By following some preventive measures, it is possible to minimize the risk of contracting dysentery:

  1. Do not forget to wash your hands with soap after coming from the street, make sure that your child's hygiene. After using the toilet in public places, bactericidal gels / sprays are used.
  2. Eat only well-washed foods, exclude raw milk from the diet (only after heat treatment), monitor the shelf life of a particular product. It is advisable to exclude visits to public eating places, especially in the summer.
  3. After swimming in lakes, ponds and rivers, take a shower without fail.

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The main ways of transmission of dysentery

To prevent the risks of infection with a dysentery bacillus, doctors focus on the fact that dysentery is transmitted through the fecal-oral route. Establishing the fact of infection and the method of penetration of the pest into the body is the main factor in establishing the cause of the disease. According to evolution, the mechanism for the entry of microorganisms from one living being into another is determined.

Ways of transmission of dysentery bacillus:

  • water;
  • Food;
  • contact-household way.

How can you not get dysentery?

To prevent the risks of infection with dysentery sticks, it is necessary to completely eliminate the sources of infection. In medicine, the most common sources of infection with dysentery are any living organisms that are the carrier of the pathogen. For pathogenic strains of dysentery, the sources are people with an acute form of infection, people with a chronic form, as well as bacterial carriers.

In addition, an important way to deny any possibility of infection is preventive vaccination. It is carried out for small children, as well as for adults, due to which immune protection against such bacteria is developed in their body. It is impossible to catch dysentery if you regularly wash your hands with soap before eating and after visiting the bathroom, if you properly handle food and store it.

Specificity of dysentery

The term dysentery is understood as an infectious disease of the intestine associated with the activity of pathogenic strains of bacteria. Most often, the causative agents of dysentery are Shigella, which irritate the intestinal mucosa, and also poison the body with toxic substances. For the human body, the following types of shigella are considered the most dangerous - dysenteriae, sonnei and flexneri, boydii.

These pathogenic bacteria suggest the following features:

  • optimal conditions for development and reproduction 36-37 degrees;
  • bacteria are gram-negative;
  • they do not have the ability to move;
  • have sensitivity to the heating process;
  • many bacteria are resistant to some groups of antibiotics;
  • in meat, milk, water and salads can be stored for quite a long time.

For people, the most dangerous season of the epidemic is spring and summer. Most often, children from 2 to 7 years old who are careless in matters of personal hygiene fall under the influence of bacilli. If we are talking about the use of low-quality food, adults can also become infected with dysentery.

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What is dysentery

In ancient times, dysentery was called all diseases, accompanied by pain in the abdomen and frequent diarrhea. It was Hippocrates who coined the term. In translation, dysentery (dysenteriae) is dys - a disorder or disorder, and enteron - intestines, that is, all intestinal diseases were called so. Despite the fact that the infection was described several years before our era, for the first time a complete description of the pathogen and the disease itself appeared only around the 18th century.

Dysentery can be found in almost every corner of the globe, but the most “populated” places in terms of epidemiology are as follows:

  • Africa;
  • Central and Latin America;
  • most Asian countries;
  • some regions of Russia.

Sporadic or isolated cases of shigellosis - this is another name for dysentery, are found in almost all countries. The most susceptible to the spread of the disease are those regions where there is a large crowding of the population and there are no optimal sanitary and living conditions.

The causative agent of dysentery

The causative agent of dysentery is bacteria of the genus Shigella of the Enterobacteriaceae family, that is, affecting the intestines. These are fixed sticks with rounded ends. In nature, there are more than 50 species of such microorganisms that can lead to the development of dysentery in the human body. Bacteria are unpretentious, they easily get along in a suitable environment, but have their own characteristics:

Dysentery bacillus is a bacterium. But there are several variants of the pathogen that lead to the development of dysentery. Of these, 4 main types of bacteria and protozoa. Each of them has its own characteristics in the structure, and hence the ability.


Ways of contracting dysentery

In bacterial and amoebic dysentery, the source of infection is a sick person.

The transfer of pathogens of dysentery from a patient to a healthy person most often occurs during the development of an acute or exacerbation of a chronic disease. The main mechanism of transmission of dysentery is the fecal-oral route. In this case, all improvised objects, food and liquids that the causative agent of the disease has fallen on can happen as transmission factors.

There are several ways of transmission of dysentery. At the same time, for certain types of pathogens, there are ways that he prefers.

  1. The contact-household path is characteristic of the Grigoriev-Shiga bacterium. That is, infection occurs through accessible environmental objects.
  2. The food path is more typical for Sonne, but it also has its own characteristics, the bacterium often lives in dairy products.
  3. Flexner's dysentery will manifest itself in the water way of infection. In this case, open water bodies will be infected, into which bacteria enters through sewers or the pathogen can enter the water supply system.

This does not mean that each species of microorganism is spread by only one route of transmission.

A person can become infected with a dysenteric amoeba if there is a meeting with the pathogen in the environment. It is characterized by all of the above transmission routes. In this case, the carrier of infection are insects (cockroaches, flies).

Epidemiology of dysentery

Amoebiasis and shigellosis kill thousands of people every year. According to statistics, both infections affect several million people. At the same time, the number of cases of bacillary dysentery fluctuates within 80 million per year, amoebic infection is slightly behind by 30 million. The number of deaths annually fluctuates in the range of several tens of thousands.

For diseases, a characteristic seasonality of manifestation. The summer-autumn period is the very time when there is a greater chance of contracting dysentery. Most doctors register cases of infection in July-September. This interval accounts for more than half of all cases per year. In hot regions, the disease occurs year-round.

The pathogenesis of dysentery

In other words, this is the entire life cycle of bacteria inside the human body, its damaging factors.

Shigella enters through the mouth. Having passed the esophagus, the pathogen bypasses the stomach, where a significant part of the Shigella dies, because the acidic environment is an aggressive factor for it. Then, in the initial section of the small intestine, enzymes, the natural microflora, act on the bacterium, so another significant part of the bacteria dies.

But even all these defense mechanisms are not enough, because bacteria are able to release toxins into the body. Some of them are released at the time of destruction, some of the toxins are formed during the life of the causative agent of dysentery. Therefore, even remaining in a small amount, they attach to the intestinal wall and penetrate deep into the mucous layer.

Often the cause of dysentery is the accumulation of intestinal contents during the development of constipation, intestinal dysbacteriosis and all congestion in the digestive system.

There are several toxins that are released in the human body over the entire life span of Shigella:

  • endotoxin, which contributes to the accumulation of fluid and salts in the intestine, which leads to the development of loose stools;
  • cytotoxin infects intestinal cells;
  • exotoxin impairs the functioning of the nervous system;
  • neurotoxin affects the internal organs and the central nervous system.

Which organ is most affected by dysentery microbes? In addition to inflammatory processes in the internal organs, it is in the final section of the intestine that more serious changes occur:

  • local inflammation;
  • inflammatory-necrotic processes, when there are also places with areas of dead tissue;
  • then all this is replaced by the stage of formation of ulcers;
  • the fourth stage of a favorable outcome of dysentery is healing.

Symptoms

The incubation period of dysentery is in most cases 2-3 days, but this is on average. Depending on the type of pathogen, the incubation period can last from 1 day to a week. After the development of an acute process, a person becomes especially dangerous to others, as the pathogen is released into the environment.

Symptoms of acute dysentery

Acute dysentery is characterized by the development of the following symptoms.

  1. Acute onset with high body temperature of 38 to 40 ºC. It can last for several hours or up to 5 days.
  2. Mild forms of dysentery occur without an increase in temperature or with a slight increase in it.
  3. Damage to the nervous system is noted immediately: apathy, weakness, severe headaches with a sharp deterioration in the state, all this deteriorates sharply at the time of maximum temperature increase.
  4. In a typical course of infection, signs of colitis damage come first, the first of which is severe pain in the abdomen with dysentery, localized more in the left iliac region.
  5. There are pains before a bowel movement or during it.
  6. Often there are false urges to the toilet.
  7. With dysentery, loosening of the stool occurs, diarrhea occurs up to 30 times a day, which does not bring relief. At the very beginning, the stool is normal, may be mucous, then it consists of thick transparent mucus mixed with blood and pus.
  8. The signs of dysentery in an adult include not only the defeat of the final sections of the digestive system, but also the initial ones: dry mouth due to inhibition of salivation, the acidity of gastric juice decreases, gastric motility is disturbed.

The peak period of the disease lasts from 1-2 days to 9. But the full recovery of the organs and functions of the body will not occur earlier than in 2-3 weeks, although during the period of remission of symptoms, the person looks healthy.

Symptoms of chronic dysentery

How does a chronic infection progress? It is recurrent and continuous.

What are the symptoms of chronic dysentery?

  1. The relapsing course is characterized by periods of well-being and exacerbation. Their duration is different each time. More often, according to clinical manifestations, the chronic form of the disease resembles mild dysentery or moderate severity. It is accompanied by a moderate or slight temperature (not higher than 38 ºC), weakness, loss of appetite, loosening of the stool up to 10 times a day. It lasts no more than a week, on average from three to 5 days.
  2. The continuous type of chronic development of the disease is characterized by constant weakness, poor general condition, which does not worsen. There are no bright gaps in the development of such dysentery. About 6% of all infection variants turn into chronic dysentery.

Other variants of the course of dysentery

In addition to the acute and chronic course, dysentery also differs in the place of inflammation and other features, due to which several more variants of the disease are distinguished.

  1. Gastroenterocolitic variant of dysentery. Has a rough start. Immediately, the symptoms resemble a foodborne infection. Signs of intoxication predominate, the patient may be disturbed by pain in the stomach and nausea, later there is pain in the intestines, loosening of the stool.
  2. Gastroenteric variant of dysentery. Symptoms in adults resemble the development of acute poisoning with signs of dehydration. There are no classic pains in the intestinal area with the formation of ulcerative defects in its mucosa.
  3. Prolonged flow. With this variant, symptoms bother from 1.5 to 3 months, and complete restoration of organ function is observed within 3 months after recovery.

amoebic dysentery

Scientifically, it sounds like amoebiasis, that is, an infection caused by amoebas. The life cycle of the dysentery amoeba consists of two main stages:

  • vegetative;
  • cysts or dormancy.

Vegetative is unstable in the environment, and it comes in four forms.

  1. Tissue - mobile, which is found during an acute infection.
  2. A large vegetative form is found in the human body with intestinal damage.
  3. The translucent form is inactive, it is isolated during recovery.
  4. The pre-cystic form is also found during convalescence or in carriers.

The cyst is a form of amoeba that is more resistant to the environment. This type of the simplest organism can be isolated from a convalescent person. The patient releases more than 300 million of it into the environment per day.

Where does the dysenteric amoeba live? The main habitat is the human intestine, from there it enters the environment with feces. Transmission factors, as in the case of shigellosis, are food, contaminated water, and contaminated objects.

Symptoms of amoebic dysentery

What are the symptoms of the appearance of dysenteric amoeba in the body?

  1. A slight increase in temperature to 37 ºC or slightly higher, which appears approximately on the 7-10th day of the onset of the disease.
  2. Some have weakness, fatigue, general malaise.
  3. There are headaches, pain in the stomach, then discomfort in the intestines.
  4. Disturbance of the stool from 5 to 20 times a day with an admixture of mucus, and then blood, which gives the stool the appearance of raspberry jelly.

Dysentery in children

How is shigellosis different in children? Are there any differences from adults?

Dysentery affects absolutely all groups of the population. But among the first and often ill were always children under 4 years old, their number was more than 60% of the total mass of cases. Babies get sick a little less often, as they feed on their mother's milk.

What are the signs of dysentery in children?

  1. Weakness, malaise, sometimes neurological symptoms with apathy, lack of appetite, and headaches come first.
  2. According to the main clinical symptoms, such as abdominal pain, loosening of the stool and false urge to go to the toilet, the course of the disease is no different from its development in adults.
  3. What are the distinguishing symptoms of dysentery in children? This can be a sharp depression of consciousness, convulsions, palpitations and the appearance of a cyanotic skin tone.

Everything else depends on the severity of the course of the disease and the presence of concomitant infections or other pathologies.

Diagnosis of dysentery

In the case of the presence of typical clinical symptoms, it is not difficult to make a diagnosis. But a mild course or an atypical form of the disease can cause difficulties in making a diagnosis.

How is dysentery diagnosed? Where does research start?

  1. To begin with, standard routine research methods are carried out with the determination of a general blood test, urine, in which the presence of inflammation can be detected. Otherwise, the indicators do not differ significantly from those for other infections.
  2. An important method of diagnosis is bacteriological examination. At the same time, for analysis for dysentery, they take feces immediately after going to the toilet. Small particles are plated on enrichment media or other special media. On the second day, you can already evaluate the result. There are also small disadvantages in this diagnosis - it can be effective in only 25% of cases (although more often it is possible to correctly diagnose in 80% of patients). The latter depends on the stage of the disease, the correct sampling of the material and the well-chosen medium.
  3. More modern, therefore expensive, serological methods for the study of dysentery (RNGA). The increase in titer occurs from the fifth day and maximum after 2-3 weeks from the onset of the disease.
  4. Although the usual coprogram is an auxiliary method, it can still help, because in this way it is easy to detect inflammation, mucus residues and blood particles not visible to the eye.

Treatment

The primary task in the treatment of dysentery is to determine the severity of the disease. With mild to moderate infection, the patient can be treated at home. A severe degree is immediate hospitalization.

In the hospital, treatment takes place in several stages.

  1. A strict diet is prescribed for dysentery. In the first days of the disease, it is as sparing as possible, with optimal thermal processing of food and with the exclusion of all products that irritate the intestines. Then, after the subsidence of all severe symptoms, the diet expands slightly with a gradual transition to the usual table.
  2. Antibiotics for dysentery are the basis of proper treatment, because the cause of the disease is a bacterium. With moderate severity of the disease, antibiotics are prescribed in the correct dosage for a period of at least 5-7 days. Moreover, antibiotics for the moderate severity of the disease and the mild one are different.
  3. In the case of a severe course, parenteral antibiotics are prescribed, which are administered using droppers.
  4. Treatment of shigellosis is also carried out with detoxification drugs, for which solutions are used that replenish the loss of fluid. The number of administered solutions is determined according to the age and body weight of the sick person.
  5. The treatment of dysentery additionally includes vitamin therapy for the rapid restoration of all body functions, for nourishing the nervous system and healing of intestinal tissues.
  6. Additionally, for better regeneration or healing of intestinal tissues in dysentery, oils and fish oil are used, but with great care.
  7. Polyenzymatic preparations are used to restore bowel functions.
  8. Treatment of dysentery necessarily includes the appointment of drugs to normalize the intestinal microflora.
  9. Phytopreparations have not lost their significance either - enveloping and astringent fees are prescribed.

Prevention

Proper treatment of the disease is the timely prevention of infection. It is aimed not only at the fight against the pathogen. It is also the education of the population about the cause of the disease. Prevention of dysentery includes a complex of therapeutic and prophylactic, anti-epidemic measures, as well as compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards.

What can be done to prevent infection?

  1. The State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service conducts active prevention in places where bacteria are found. Measures to prevent dysentery include the timely detection of patients and bacteria carriers, and their treatment.
  2. Produce disinfection of sources of infection, control of water supply in places where foci of dysentery are detected.
  3. To avoid infection with dysentery, all sanitary and hygienic standards should be observed, especially if a carrier or a sick person is found in the house - regular surface treatment with disinfectants, washing hands before eating and processing food.
  4. Follow-up of convalescents and complete examination of contact persons.
  5. Another important step in the fight against the causative agent of dysentery is vaccination. Vaccination is given to all persons who have an increased likelihood of encountering bacteria.

For comprehensive prevention, it is necessary to influence every link in the process, from identifying patients to personal prevention.

Whatever dysentery is, it is diagnosed and treated by specialists. This is a fast-flowing infectious disease with profound changes in the body. Downplaying the importance of even mild forms of the disease is the same as starting the mechanism of self-destruction, only it will affect everyone - the patient and the people around him.

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Ways of contracting dysentery in children and adults

As a source of dysentery, people who suffer from a chronic or acute form of the disease, as well as bacterial carriers, usually act. In the case of an acute form of dysentery, the patient is most contagious in the first few days of the disease. The duration of the acute form is approximately 3 months, during which bacterial excretion does not stop. In the case of chronic dysentery, shigella can be excreted by a person only during periods of exacerbations, the duration of such dysentery is more than 3 months.

The most unpredictable and dangerous bacteria carriers are people with an asymptomatic course of dysentery, as well as in case of infection with its erased or mild forms, when the disease is not pronounced, and bacteria that cause dysentery are excreted by a person.

The way of infection with dysentery in children and adults can only be fecal-oral, which happens:

  • water, in which in most cases Flexner's dysentery is transmitted;
  • food, which is transmitted Sonne's dysentery;
  • contact household, through which Grigoriev-Shiga dysentery is transmitted.

Causes of dysentery in children and adults

Dysentery in children and adults occurs due to non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene, the use of contaminated products. It is possible to become infected with dysentery through household items if they were contaminated with feces if personal hygiene rules were not followed. The causes of infection with dysentery in children and adults are interaction through water, flies, food, especially dairy products, dirty hands, unwashed vegetables and fruits, household items used by a sick person.

There is a high susceptibility to dysentery in humans. At the same time, it does not depend on gender and age, but still, preschool children are most often affected by dysentery, since they often do not have proper hygiene skills.

The reasons for the development of dysentery in children and adults also include the presence of provoking factors, for example, an increase in susceptibility to intestinal diseases in the presence of chronic or acute diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as intestinal dysbacteriosis.

More often, dysentery develops in the warm season, since external conditions have a beneficial effect on the activation and reproduction of the pathogen.

In the external environment, the causative agent of the disease can remain active for up to 1.5 months, and if it gets on some products, especially dairy products, it can also multiply. Dysentery begins to occur after Shigella enters the gastrointestinal tract, then its reproduction begins, the release of poisons into the blood by the causative agent. These toxins have a negative effect on blood circulation, blood vessels, liver, intestinal walls and the central nervous system. Due to inflammation that occurs in the mucosa of the small intestine, deep ulcers can form in the intestine.

Prevention of dysentery in children and adults

Dysentery can be prevented by taking the following preventive measures in children and adults:

  • compliance with the rules of personal hygiene, washing hands after visiting the toilet, the street, before eating;
  • do not purchase food in places of spontaneous trade. When you buy perishable products, you should pay attention to their storage conditions and expiration dates;
  • avoiding eating foods that have expired, as well as foods that have been stored outside the refrigerator;
  • thorough washing of vegetables, fruits under running water and rinsing them with boiled water;
  • swimming only in those waters where it is allowed. Avoid swallowing water when diving;
  • refuse to purchase gourds for cutting.

The infectious disease dysentery is not uncommon among the modern human community. The main source of infection is food and water. It is not uncommon for infection to occur due to poor personal hygiene. We bring to your attention a material that tells about the symptoms and treatment of dysentery.

Dysentery is an infection

Many people know that dysentery is a disease of dirty hands. However, oddly enough, this infection is often picked up even by those people who carefully observe the rules of hygiene.

Shigella is the causative agent of dysentery.

The causative agent of dysentery is the Shigella bacillus, so the disease has a second name - shigellosis. These bacteria are quite stable in the external environment: for 5-14 days they can live in stagnant water bodies, on food products, dishes and other objects. In dark, damp, cool soils, dysentery pathogens can survive up to 3 months.

The causative agent of dysentery - shigella does not tolerate heating: at a temperature of 60 ° C, they die after 10 minutes, and at 100 ° C - instantly. Under direct sunlight, these microbes can be no more than 30 minutes.

Dysentery infection

You can become infected only by swallowing the bacteria. For example, drinking unboiled water or milk, eating unwashed fruits or vegetables, using someone else's dishes or a toothbrush. It is enough to hold on to the handrail on the bus, do not wash your hands after that and start having dinner. After that, infection with dysentery may occur.

The main source of infection is a sick person. The most contagious are patients lying in a hospital with severe and moderate dysentery.

Dysentery is caused by an infection

However, Shigella can also be spread by healthy-looking people, the so-called carriers, who have been ill at home in a mild form and now think that they are absolutely healthy. They go to work, to canteens, shops, travel by public transport and do not even suspect that they are dangerous to others. Dysentery is caused by any contact with a carrier of the infection.

Why does the host not get sick? His immunity inhibits the growth of bacteria, but is not able to defeat them completely. In addition, shigella can be weakened by treatment.

How can you get dysentery? Many do not understand how you can get dysentery in your family circle. People living in the same apartment can easily infect each other. For example, if it is not customary in the family to carefully observe the rules of hygiene. By the way, another important carrier of infection is flies and cockroaches. They leave bacteria on bread, fruit, and other foods that are stored openly.

Ways of contracting dysentery

The only ways of contracting dysentery are enteral. The pathogen enters the body only through the mouth. What time of the year does dysentery “prefer” the most? Summer-autumn period. The bacterium itself is resistant to cold, but at this time summer residents harvest crops in their gardens and eat fruits directly from the garden. In addition, in the summer heat, people have to drink more. Many take water from wells, wells, springs and so-called holy springs. I want to especially note: in the holy sources, shigella feels no worse than in any others. Also, people often become infected by swallowing water while swimming in lakes and ponds.

Who can be attributed to the risk group? Preschoolers - they wash their hands less often, and drag anything into their mouths. Elderly people and patients with weakened immune systems or concomitant diseases are also often sick.

What happens in the body when Shigella enters it? The bacteria themselves are practically immobile - they move along the gastrointestinal tract along with food. Some of the pathogens die in the aggressive environment of the stomach and small intestine, the rest safely “reach” the large intestine and take root there. Microbes begin to multiply rapidly and release toxins.

incubation period for dysentery

The incubation period of dysentery is very small: from several hours to 3 days. The patient loses his appetite, the body temperature rises, there are pains in the lower abdomen, the skin turns pale, the pressure drops, the pulse quickens, convulsions appear.

Symptoms of dysentery

The symptoms of dysentery can vary, but the main symptoms are upset stools and vomiting. On palpation, a spasmodic (tense and often painful) sigmoid colon is felt. The chair is liquid, scanty, with an admixture of blood. A characteristic sign of dysentery is false urge to go to the toilet. They appear due to the fact that bacteria irritate special receptors in the large intestine.

Shigella themselves cannot enter the bloodstream, but they produce toxins that are carried by the bloodstream to all organs. Because of this, with dysentery, joints and the head sometimes begin to hurt, concomitant chronic diseases become aggravated, primarily diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Signs of dysentery

In rare cases, dysentery occurs in gastroenteric forms similar to salmonellosis. Then the patient has specific signs of dysentery, such as nausea, watery stools, pains throughout the abdomen. If you do not see a doctor in time, in severe cases, a dangerous toxic shock can develop.

How is a patient diagnosed with dysentery diagnosed? First, the infectious disease specialist will find out if the patient or his relatives have had something similar before. He asks when and how the first symptoms of malaise appeared, what the patient ate and drank in recent days, whether he observes the rules of hygiene, where the stomach hurts, the nature of the stool.

After collecting an anamnesis, the doctor examines the patient: palpates the abdomen, looks at the condition of the skin, measures pressure and body temperature.

If nausea and vomiting torment the patient, the stomach is washed. Then examine urine, feces, wash water and blood.

Assistance in the diagnosis is provided by sigmoidoscopy: a tube with a probe at the end is inserted into the colon and its walls are examined. With dysentery, markedly pronounced redness, swelling, smoothness of the vascular pattern of the mucosa. In severe cases, ulcers may occur.

How to treat dysentery?

Before treating dysentery, it is necessary to exclude other pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract. We begin to treat patients with dysentery even before the tests are ready, since already the first examination can make a preliminary diagnosis. In the first days, if there is dehydration, they give special solutions that restore the water-salt balance (rehydron, hydrovit). If, due to nausea, the patient cannot drink, then they put a dropper with identical drugs. Although, of course, it is better to take saline solutions orally - this way they will work much faster.

Treatment of dysentery

For the treatment of dysentery, antibacterial drugs are mainly prescribed. For example, furazolidone is not only effective against shigella, but, unlike antibiotics, does not cause dysbacteriosis. Dosage for adults - 2 tablets 4 times a day after meals. In severe cases, when the patient experiences vomiting and severe dehydration, fluoroquinolone antibiotics are administered intramuscularly.

Can dysentery be treated at home? This is allowed only under the supervision of a doctor. But I would still recommend staying in the hospital for the duration of the treatment. The fact is that the patient is a source of infection and can infect others. In addition, it is often difficult for patients to force themselves to take medicines and food at strictly defined times, as well as to follow a diet. And in the hospital he will be under the supervision of qualified specialists.

How long does the patient need to stay in the hospital? With proper treatment, patients fully recover in 7-10 days. It will take some more time to restore normal bowel function. In severe cases, patients may spend up to 2 weeks in the hospital.

What should the recovering person remember? About the need to follow a strict diet (dietary table number 4), eat by the hour, take vitamins, antispasmodics, preparations with bifidobacteria to restore microflora and enzymes (festal, creon).

Is self-healing possible? This happens. In mild cases, patients confuse the malaise with ordinary poisoning and lie down at home. However, a carrier state may develop, that is, a person will remain contagious.

How not to become a carrier?

To do this, you need to consult a doctor in time and strictly follow the prescribed course of treatment. Often a carrier state is formed if the patient is not cured. But sometimes it also happens that the tests show a negative result, and the person turns out to be contagious. A negative result of bacteriological studies does not always indicate the absence of pathogens in the body.

Do patients get dysentery multiple times? Certainly! They arbitrarily leave the hospital, do not recover, and as a result, the disease returns.

Are they vaccinated against this infection? There are no effective vaccines. Yes, and immunity in a person who has been ill is formed for a short time.

Measures to prevent dysentery

Measures to prevent dysentery include a number of activities. First of all, you must follow the rules of hygiene: wash your hands, vegetables and fruits regularly and thoroughly, drink only boiled water, do not eat anything from the garden, never try products on the market, do not buy pies on the street, cut watermelons, keep food closed .

Dysentery has been known since ancient times. There are even descriptions of epidemics that raged in the Middle Ages. The term "dysentery" was coined by Hippocrates. prevention of dysentery has also been known since ancient times.

The causative agents of the disease are dysentery bacteria - small mobile sticks (1-3 microns in size). They have rounded ends, stain well with aniline dyes, are gram-negative and grow on conventional nutrient media.

Dysentery sticks quickly die in sunlight, when dried, at high temperatures, under the influence of disinfectants. These bacteria can survive for several months in the environment at low temperatures and high humidity.

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