Shigella is a bacteria that causes an infection called shigellosis.
For more information about the status of the current Shigella outbreak, including cases and hospitalizations, download the weekly Spokane County Shigella Outbreak Summary for External Partners.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Shigella bacteria cause approximately 450,000 infections every year in the United States. Shigella infections are typically the result of bacteria passing from feces (poop) or the contaminated hands of one person to the mouth of another person.1
Symptoms of shigellosis usually start one to two days after exposure and last for seven days. Symptoms include the following: 1
If you think you may have shigellosis, seek medical care and get tested. It may take some time for your body to recover—sometimes it can take several months for bowel movements to return to normal.1
Shigella spreads easily and can be passed from one person to another when a person swallows bacteria from the feces of another person. Shigella can be in feces for two weeks after symptoms end, so people recovering from Shigella should take precautions for two weeks after their diarrhea ends and their bowl movements are normal again. 1,2
Shigella can spread when people do not wash their hands well enough. It also can happen during certain types of sexual activity. You can be exposed to Shigella bacteria when you:
Shigella outbreaks can occur in any community, but some people are more likely to be exposed to Shigella than others. Additionally, some individuals are more likely to experience more severe illness when infected with Shigella. 1,2
Shigella can be diagnosed using a laboratory test that detects the bacteria in a stool sample (a sample of feces collected from someone who is sick).1,4
Most people recover from shigellosis on their own within five to seven days. People with mild shigellosis can take the following steps to manage their symptoms:1,4
Healthcare providers may prescribe antibiotics for severe cases of shigellosis; however, some antibiotics are not effective against certain types of Shigella. If your symptoms do not improve after a few days on antibiotics, contact your provider. Additional laboratory tests may be needed to make sure that the right antibiotics are prescribed for the type of Shigella infection.1
An excerpt from SRHD’s Jan. 3, 2024, Facebook Live stream. Learn about Shigella, how to prevent infection, and get an overview of the 2023-2024 outbreak in Spokane County.
There are no vaccines to prevent infection with Shigella, but there are steps that people can take to avoid becoming infected with Shigella or prevent spreading it to others when sick.
Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol, rubbing your hands until dry. Make sure to clean under your fingernails.5
Wash your hands:
Other ways to avoid Shigella infection include the following:
Shigella can be in feces for two weeks after symptoms end. People who are sick should wash their hands well and often to avoid reinfecting themselves or spreading Shigella to others. People with Shigella should also stay home from healthcare, food service, and childcare jobs until they have been cleared by public health to return to work, after testing negative for Shigella twice, 24 hours apart. 6
Take these precautions for two weeks after symptoms end:6
If you or someone in your household has Shigella, you can take additional steps to prevent Shigella from spreading on contaminated surfaces. Most disinfectants kill Shigella, and you should be able to check what germs a disinfectant kills on the product label. If you are unsure if a product kills Shigella, you can use bleach. For instructions on cleaning with bleach, please see “How to Use Bleach Safely” in the CDC’s Shigella Prevention and Control Toolkit.7
Disinfect the following surfaces often: