DYSENTERY
Dysentery is an inflammation of the intestines especially in the colon that can cause severe diarrhea. Often mucus and blood will be found in the feces.
Amoebic dysentery is common in the tropics and is caused by Entamoeba histolytica. Bacillary dysentery is caused by Shigella, a bacterium and is the most common type in Western Europe and the USA.
Poor hygiene and tainted food and water is the main cause of bacillary dysentery infection (Shigella). Approximately 1.1 million people die globally from this each year with 60% of the deaths occurring among young children. Amoebic dysentery is caused from contaminated food and water and also poor hygiene practices.
Symptoms of amoebic dysentery include abdominal pain, fever and chills, nausea and vomiting, watery diarrhea which can contain blood, mucus or pus, painful passage of stools, fatigue, and intermittent constipation. The amoeba can tunnel through the intestinal wall and spread through the bloodstream infecting other organs. Ulcers can also develop and bleed causing blood to appear in the stool also.
Symptoms typically last for a few days but can persist for several weeks. Recurrence of infection is possible as the amoebas continue to live in the human host after symptoms have resolved.
Bacillary dysentery normally presents with mild stomachache and diarrhea. Blood or mucus in the feces is less common. Patients can also have abdominal pain, fever and nausea and vomiting though these are also less common.
Diagnosis is normally determined based on symptoms and confirmed by analysis of a stool sample. Oral rehydration is important. If vomiting and diarrhea are severe then IV fluid replacement may be necessary. Untreated dysentery can be life threatening if the person cannot replace lost fluids fast enough. If amoebic dysentery is diagnosed the patient will be treated with a 10 day course of an antimicrobial medications such as metronidazole, diloxanide furoates, paromomycin, or iodoquinol or auranofin is also a cheap alternative.
The best prevention for dysentery is regular handwashing especially before and after using the bathroom and before preparing food. If you are in a high risk area then only drink bottled or boiled water, avoid ice cubes and use purified water for teeth hygiene. Make sure all food is thoroughly cooked and washed prior to eating.
Stay blessed!
0 comments:
Post a Comment