bacteria that can cause gastroenteritis are varied And they can affect at any time of the year.
In fact, this type of infection is hot after .
And in his specific case, as credit sources have explained to The New Spainthis gastroenteritis “is almost certainly of viral origin.”
The main symptoms of princess eleanor and the infant sofia they were “severe vomiting” and have been treated with an antiemetic drug, which is what medicines are called to stop vomiting and nausea.
What is happening is that at the moment, in addition to the usual gastroenteritis, we are observing how the incidence of a bacterium in tropical countries that causes a disease with very similar symptoms is growing: Shigellosis.
And although it has nothing to do with the case, it is a new condition of epidemiological interest.
Shigella, a rare bacterium
The shigellosis is a diarrheal infection that is caused by some of the different species of Shigella bacteria:
- Shigella sonnei.
- Shigella flexneri.
- Shigella boydii (very common in developing countries).
- Shigella dysenteriae.
It is an endemic disease in tropical countries and very rare in babies under six months.
But according to the latest , so far in 2022, 361 cases of shigellosis have already been registered in Spain. A figure that, although it is still a very small amount, is important in that it represents a large increase compared to 2021, when only a total of 169 infections were registered.
That is why the epidemic index, which is the ratio between the cases presented and what is expected, is 1.25, and that figure is already considered a “high incidence.”
It is a disease that in our country is mandatory declaration within the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network (RENAVE). This means that all cases and outbreaks of shigellosis must be notified to the National Epidemiology Center (CNE) for its control and surveillance.
In recent history, the cumulative incidence of shigellosis has already increased to 1.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants during the period 2016-2019. But later, during the years 2020 and 2021, it had decreased considerably to 0.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
And that, as the Carlos III Health Institute explains, “in 2021, despite the fact that only some Autonomous Communities reported cases to RENAVE, the number of cases was slightly higher than the previous year.”
What are the symptoms of shigellosis?
The first symptoms of this disease are:
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Fever.
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abdominal cramps
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Watery and bulky stools.
In the hours, or days, that follow, the patient may experience a decrease in fever and an increase in small-volume stools.
It is explained in the action protocol against this disease that:
“Within a day or two, stools with blood and mucus may appear, as a result of mucosal ulcerations, with rectal urgency, reflecting an infection located in the colon.”
Nausea, vomiting and sometimes toxemia (presence of toxic substances in the blood) may also appear.
It is one of the most transmissible bacterial diarrheas.
Also, although less frequently
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“Seizures can be a significant complication in young children, although bacteremia is rare.”
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“In some patients (particularly infants and older adults) significant dehydration can occur from excessive fluid loss due to vomiting and diarrhea.”
Transmission and incubation period
The transmission mechanism is fecal-oral. This means that the infection can occur through contact with a person with shigellosis or through ingestion of contaminated food or water.
As highlighted by the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network, “Flies can also act as a vehicle for transmission, contaminating unprotected food.”
The incubation period of this disease is 1 to 3 days, although there are cases in which it can vary from 12 hours to 1 week, especially for a type of shigella: S. dysenteriae type 1.
Gastroenteritis or shigellosis?
In any case, although it is true that due to the symptoms described, the indisposition of , could be caused by this bacterial infection, it is quite unlikely due to the small incidence that this bacterium has today in our country.
Any gastroenteritis that we encounter today is much easier to associate with any of the most common bacterial infections such as those caused by Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Salmonella and yersiniawhose symptoms usually last between 5 and 7 days.
Gastroenteritis is inflammation of the lining of the stomach and the small and large intestine.
And although it is true that, as the (SEMI) emphasizes, shigellosis “is the one that greater risk of contagionsince a bacterial inoculum of only 10-100 viable bacteria can cause disease in healthy adults”, it is still far from being a common condition in our country.
In addition, if this were the case, it could be diagnosed with some ease just by observing if there is blood in the stool.
And it is that gastroenteritis caused by bacteria such as wave E.coli do not cause severe bloody diarrhea or pus, as occurs with shigellosis.
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“When a person is infected and has shigellosis, the bacteria attaches itself to intestinal cells, invades and destroys them, thus producing bloody diarrhoea.”
How is it diagnosed and what is its treatment?
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