Dysentery

Dysentery
Other namesBloody diarrhea
A person with dysentery in a Burmese POW camp, 1943
SpecialtyInfectious disease
SymptomsBloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever[1][2]
ComplicationsDehydration[3]
DurationLess than a week[4]
CausesUsually Shigella or Entamoeba histolytica[1]
Diagnostic methodBased on symptoms, Stool test
PreventionHand washing, food safety[4]
TreatmentDrinking sufficient fluids, antibiotics (severe cases)[4]
FrequencyOccurs often in many parts of the world[5]
Deaths1.1 million a year[5]
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Dysentery (UK: /ˈdɪsəntəri/ DISS-ən-tər-ee,[7] US: /ˈdɪsəntɛri/ DISS-ən-terr-ee),[8] historically known as the bloody flux,[9] is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea.[1][10] Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation.[2][6][11] Complications may include dehydration.[3]

The cause of dysentery is usually the bacteria from genus Shigella, in which case it is known as shigellosis, or the amoeba Entamoeba histolytica; then it is called amoebiasis.[1] Other causes may include certain chemicals, other bacteria, other protozoa, or parasitic worms.[2] It may spread between people.[4] Risk factors include contamination of food and water with feces due to poor sanitation.[6] The underlying mechanism involves inflammation of the intestine, especially of the colon.[2]

Efforts to prevent dysentery include hand washing and food safety measures while traveling in countries of high risk.[4] While the condition generally resolves on its own within a week, drinking sufficient fluids such as oral rehydration solution is important.[4] Antibiotics such as azithromycin may be used to treat cases associated with travelling in the developing world.[11] While medications used to decrease diarrhea such as loperamide are not recommended on their own, they may be used together with antibiotics.[11][4]

Shigella results in about 165 million cases of diarrhea and 1.1 million deaths a year with nearly all cases in the developing world.[5] In areas with poor sanitation nearly half of cases of diarrhea are due to Entamoeba histolytica.[6] Entamoeba histolytica affects millions of people and results in more than 55,000 deaths a year.[12] It commonly occurs in less developed areas of Central and South America, Africa, and Asia.[12] Dysentery has been described at least since the time of Hippocrates.[13]

  1. ^ a b c d "Dysentery". who.int. Archived from the original on 5 December 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d "Dysentery" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
  3. ^ a b "WHO EMRO | Dysentery | Health topics". www.emro.who.int. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Dysentery". nhs.uk. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  5. ^ a b c "Dysentery (Shigellosis)" (PDF). WHO. November 2016. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 September 2018. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d Marie C, Petri WA (August 2013). "Amoebic dysentery". BMJ Clinical Evidence. 2013. PMC 3758071. PMID 23991750.
  7. ^ "dysentery". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. n.d. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  8. ^ "dysentery". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  9. ^ "bloody flux". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  10. ^ "Controlling the Spread of Infections in Evacuation Centers |Health and Safety Concerns". U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  11. ^ a b c Tribble DR (September 2017). "Antibiotic Therapy for Acute Watery Diarrhea and Dysentery". Military Medicine. 182 (S2): 17–25. doi:10.7205/MILMED-D-17-00068. PMC 5650106. PMID 28885920.
  12. ^ a b Shirley DT, Farr L, Watanabe K, Moonah S (July 2018). "A Review of the Global Burden, New Diagnostics, and Current Therapeutics for Amebiasis". Open Forum Infectious Diseases. 5 (7): ofy161. doi:10.1093/ofid/ofy161. PMC 6055529. PMID 30046644.
  13. ^ Grove D (2013). Tapeworms, Lice, and Prions: A compendium of unpleasant infections. OUP Oxford. p. PT517. ISBN 978-0-8493-0072-1.

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