Shigella, dysentery-causing

Shigellosis Bacillary dysentery caused by bacteria of the genus Shigella, often occurring in epidemic patterns. 

Bacteria are both harmful and beneficial. They degrade the waste-products produced by society. They are used in wastewater treatment plants— thus, they are beneficial. On the other hand, they can also be pathogenic. The bacteria. Salmonella typhosa, causes typhoid fever Shigella flexneri causes bacillary dysentery. Clostridium tetani excretes toxins producing tetanus. Clostridium botulinum excretes the toxin causing botulism. Corynebacterium diphtheriae is the agent for diphtheria. 

Emetine shows an emetic effect by stimulating the gastric mucous membranes. It causes an increase of secretion in the trachea in a small dose and is used to clear throat of phlegm. Cephaeline shows stronger emetic activity and higher toxicity than emetine. Because emetine kills protozoa, even at a concentration of 0.5-1.Omg/mL, it is also used as hydrochloride as a specific medicine for amoebic dysentery. Amoebic dysentery is caused by the protozoan Endamoeba histolytica and is widespread in the tropics. It is distina fiom the dysentery caused by the Shigella bacillus, which occurs in both tropical and temperate zones. 

Shiga toxin is produced (i) by Shigella cfysenterica, the cause of bacillary dysentery, (ii) by certain E. coli strains (EHEC, enterohaemorrhagic E. coli cause of the... 

Shigella shiga, Sh. flexneri, Sh. sonnei and Sh. boydii are the causes of bacillary dysentery. 

Bacteria are likely precipitants in many other cases including Escherichia coli, Salmonella species, Shigella species, Vibrio cholerae, and Clostridium difficile. The term dysentery has often been used to describe some of these bacterial infections when associated with serious occurrences of bloody diarrhea. Additionally, acute diarrheal conditions can be prompted by parasites-protozoa such as Entamoeba histolytica, Microsporidium, Giardia lamblia, and Cryptosporidium parvum. Most of these infectious agents can be causes of traveler s diarrhea, a common malady alflicting travelers worldwide. It usually occurs during or just after travel subsequent to the ingestion of fecally-contaminated food or water. It has an abrupt onset but usually subsides within 2 to 3 days. 

In the U.S. and in Europe, the majority of dysentery cases are caused by Shigella sonnei, while in developing countries infections caused by Sh. dysenteriae and Sh. boydii are dominant. In 2001 in Poland, 128 cases of dysentery (0.3 cases per 100,000 people) were reported, of which 116 cases were caused by Sh. sonnei (Stypulkowska-Misiurewicz and Gonera, 2003). 

Shigella flexneri—Pathogenic bacterium that causes bacillary dysentery. 

Shigellosis Gastrointestinal disease caused by several strains of Shigella that invade intestinal lining cells. Known also as Bacillary Dysentery. 

---