-Shigella are facultatively anaerobic, gram-negative rods

-They resemble E coli, but unlike E.coli, they are nonmotile 

-It is transmitted via the fecal-oral route, contact, and sexual route 

-It is more common in children attending day-care centers 

-in adults, it can cause inflammatory exudative diarrhea 

Symptoms & Signs 

Fever, chills, headache, anorexia, malaise, crampy abdominal pain, diarrhea with blood and mucus

Diagnosis 

Diagnosis is confirmed by stool culture

Sigmoidoscopy: inflamed, engorged mucosa with punctate ulceration 

Treatment 

Supportive therapy: Hydration 

Most episodes are self-limited and resolve without treatment in 1 week

Antibiotics: ciprofloxacin, ceftriaxone, azithromycin, pivmecillinam

Complications: Temporary disaccharidase deficiency, toxic megacolon, HUS, rectal prolapse, Reiter’s syndrome in patients with HLA-B27genotype