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2. Take the MRSA Quiz!
3. Infectious Mononucleosis Slideshow Pictures

In this Article

• What is shigellosis? What causes shigellosis?
• What sort of germ is Shigella?
• How can Shigella infections be diagnosed?
• How can Shigella infections be treated?
• Are there long term consequences of a Shigella infection?
• How do people catch Shigella?
• What can a person do to prevent this illness?
• How common is shigellosis?
• What else can be done to prevent shigellosis?
• What is the government doing about shigellosis?
• How can I learn more about this and other public health problems?
• Some tips for preventing the spread of shigellosis
• Shigella Infection Index

Many different kinds of germs can cause diarrhea, so establishing the cause will help guide treatment. Determining that Shigella is the cause of the illness depends on laboratory tests that identify Shigella in the stools of an infected person. The laboratory can also do special tests to determine which antibiotics, if any, would be best to treat the infection.

Persons with mild infections usually recover quickly without antibiotic treatment. However, appropriate antibiotic treatment kills Shigella bacteria, and may shorten the illness by a few days. The antibiotics commonly used for treatment are ampicillin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (also known as Bactrim* or Septra*), ceftriaxone (Rocephin*), or, among adults, ciprofloxacin. Some Shigella bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. This means some antibiotics might not be effective for treatment. Using antibiotics to treat shigellosis can sometimes make the germs more resistant. Therefore, when many persons in a community are affected by shigellosis, antibiotics are sometimes used to treat only the most severe cases. Antidiarrheal agents such as loperamide (Imodium*) or diphenoxylate with atropine (Lomotil*) can make the illness worse and should be avoided.