In the past week shigellosis outbreaks have been reported in S.C, Georgia, and New York, where more than eighty people were infected at an elementary school in S.C, four children were hospitalized. In Georgia, Worth county's schools were closed down for disinfection when a suspected 260 cases spread throughout the community, and yesterday in New York, the city department of health and mental hygiene reported and 11-fold increase in shigellosis cases in Orthodox Jewish communities of Boro Park and Williamsburg, having 45 in the past two months alone. The group of bacteria called Shigella often causes fever, nausea, and bloody diarrhea, there are four subgroups of shigella, the most common in the U.S being the sonnei, and Flexneri serogroups, which antibiotics are usually not given for because most people recover fairly quickly, and antibiotic resistant bacteria is a growing problem. Shigella is responsible for 120 million cases of severe dysentery world wide each year, there is no current vaccine available, and thorough hand washing is what is needed to protect oneself and others from getting the infection.
With poor clean water supplies in many areas around the world, I am surprised we don't see more cases of this infection a year. Though the ones found in the U.S are not deadly so far, with traveling becoming so easy today, and business representatives going over seas, picking up new strains of viruses and bacteria could be a possibility. Children are being affected by this outbreak too, and they are less likely to clean their hands the proper way every time they get done using the bathroom, and also just when they leave the rest room area, spreading the germs to their friends, and to teachers.Anywhere where there is poor education about properly defending people from the bacteria, and the diseases that is harmful to them, is not only in great danger of this virus, but many others, it only takes that one time to enter the bathroom, and run into someone who didn't wash their hands properly, and you taking that same hand to do something around your face.
http://www.healthmap.org/news/hundreds-sick-three-separate-outbreaks-shigellosis
Shigellosis is one that is very deadly. Although outbreaks like this do occur we have to be more careful throughout our day to day lives realizing all of the deadly bacteria and germs being passed from one person to the next with such minimal contact. With all of the research and technology that is out today we have to find more ways to improve situations like this one to limit the ability of such an outbreak to cause such harm.
ReplyDeleteReading this reminded me of how easy it is to spread germs around. Everyone always talks about washing hands, but it is unbelievable of how effective washing hands can be for preventing germs. I wash my hands regularly, but I know that there are so many germs and bacteria out there. I feel like even if I wash my hands it won't protect me from all the bacteria that spreads when I touch something that someone who didn't wash their hands touched. I know it makes a huge difference to wash hands, but I fell as if it is still just so easy to pick up a multitude of germs.
ReplyDeleteIt is so easy to spread germs just by touching anything at all. Germs are everywhere and that is why people are starting to spread Shigellosis. Hopefully something is done very soon about this outbreak because the last thing we need is this spreading all over and more and more people getting sick.
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