How Do You Know If You Have Shigella?

Symptoms of a Shigella infection include diarrhea, fever, stomachache, and tenesmus.

If you have a Shigella infection, you may experience the following signs and symptoms about one to two days after the exposure:

• Diarrhea or loose stools that may be blood-stained
• Fever
• Stomachache
• Tenesmus (a frequent feeling or urge that you need to have a bowel movement even if you just emptied your bowels)

Some people who have been exposed to a Shigella infection could be asymptomatic.

Rarely, some people may experience the following symptoms after a Shigella infection:

• Post-infectious arthritis:
  • Seen in about two percent of the people infected with a particular Shigella species called Shigella flexneri.
  • Post-infectious arthritis may affect people who are genetically predisposed to this condition.
  • The symptoms include joint pain and swelling, painful urination, and eye irritation.
  • These symptoms may last for months or years and may even progress to chronic arthritis.
• Seizures:
  • They generally occur in children particularly those with a high fever.
  • Lab reports may show deranged electrolyte levels (serum sodium, potassium, and calcium).
  • The exact cause of seizures following Shigella infections is not well understood.
  • Generally, the seizures subside without any treatment.
• Bloodstream infections (bacteremia):
  • Generally seen in people with weak immunity, such as people with human immunodeficiency virus infection, uncontrolled diabetes, or cancer, or those who are severely malnourished.
  • The Shigella bacteria damages the lining of the gut and enters the bloodstream via the leaky gut, causing widespread infection.
  • The affected person may have a fever, chills, rapid heartbeat, trouble breathing, confusion, or fainting episodes.
• Hemolytic uremic syndrome:
  • Caused by a toxin called Shiga toxin, which is produced by Shigella dysenteriae.
  • The toxin damages red blood cells (hemolytic anemia) and causes low platelet count (thrombocytopenia) and acute kidney failure.
  • The person may have bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever, vomiting, bruises, difficulty breathing, extreme fatigue, swelling over the feet, ankles, and legs, and bleeding from the nose or mouth.