Shigella--Another Bacterial Culprit in Food Poisoning

Disclaimer.  I am not a licensed health practitioner.  This is just another post on knowledge and understanding you might wish to acquire in advance of a disaster in case no higher care is available.  As long as our society is functioning, you should leave anything more substantial than applying a Band-Aid to the professionals.  No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician.  Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only.  It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care. 

Shigella is both the bacterial name and common name for another type of food-borne bacterial infection responsible for over 150 million illnesses and nearly 1 million deaths each year.[1]  The four main species are Shigella dysentariae, S. flexneri, S. boydii, and S. sonnei.  Shigella dysenteriae is the cause of most dysentery epidemics, especially in confined populations, like a refugee camp, and may be fatal.  S. flexneri is responsible for most cases of shigella in third-world countries; S. sonnei causes most cases in first-world countries.[2] The primary route of transmission is fecal-oral, either through contaminated food or water or person-to-person contact.

Signs and symptoms.  The most common symptoms of shigellosis include:

• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Abdominal cramps
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Body aches[3]

Common acute complications of a shigella infection:

• Sepsis
• Intestinal perforation
• Dehydration
• Pneumonia[4]

Symptom onset generally occurs within one to two days of bacterial transmission, but it may be up to one week later.  While the illness usually lasts for several days, in other patients it may persist for weeks.  There are also asymptomatic carriers.  Patients are contagious for up to two weeks after diarrhea passes.[5]

Without a functioning laboratory, achieving a definitive diagnosis of shigellosis will be difficult.  As with most illnesses and especially when trying to differentiate between various causes of food poisoning, obtaining a detailed patient history and documenting all symptoms will be critical.

Shigellosis may be confused with amebic dysentery.  However, shigella has a more rapid onset, the diarrhea is more watery, and there is almost always a fever.  In short,

• Diarrhea + blood + fever = shigella
• Diarrhea + blood - fever = amebic dysentery[6]

Risk factors.  Those at greatest risk for Shigella infections include:

• Young children in daycare settings
• Travelers to developing countries
• Homosexual men
• Individuals with weakened immune systems[7]

Maintaining basic hygiene and sanitation, including washing hands well, purifying water correctly, and avoiding homosexual intercourse will help prevent transmission of this very contagious disease.

Conventional treatment.   Due to resistance, conventional pharmaceutical antibiotics are usually ineffective in eliminating a shigella infection.[8]  (S. dysenteriae are extremely adept at developing antibiotic resistance and passing that intel on to other bacteria, including E. coli). Because most cases resolve within five to seven days without any treatment, and due to resistance, antibiotics are reserved for the most severe of cases in individuals showing signs of developing complications. 

As with all other bacterial infections, do not administer loperamide to control diarrhea.  Loperamide keeps fluids in the body; shigella bacteria needs to be eliminated from the body for recovery to occur.

Alternative treatment.  The following herbs have been demonstrated to work very well in managing shigella infections:

• Japanese barberry or Oregon grape tincture, 1-3 teaspoons, 3-6x per day
• Lomatium and licorice tinctures and ginger juice in equal parts, 1 teaspoon 3x per day[9]

If sepsis is present, add in echinacea tincture, 1/2 teaspoon-1 tablespoon every 30-60 minutes.[10]
A tincture or tea of sagebrush or another artemisia plant may be of benefit.[11]  Juniper needle tea or tincture and/or honey may also help.[12]

Because shigella is Gram-negative bacteria, the use of a synergist will dramatically enhance the efficacy of herbs and/or conventional pharmaceuticals.  Licorice is a good choice to combine with other herbs or medicines, but should not be used alone.  Piperine is also an excellent synergist; however, it should never be used with gastrointestinal infections, so don't use it with shigella.[13]

Links to related posts:
Food poisoning overview
Proper hand washing
Japanese barberry
Lomatium
Echinacea
Sagebrush
Juniper
Honey
Piperine

References:
[1] "State of the Art New Vaccine Research and Development," World Health Organization, 2006, 10, https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/69348 (accessed 10 June 2020).
[2] Ibid.
[3] Stephen Buhner, Herbal Antibiotics, 71.
[4] Ibid.
[5] "Shigella--Shigellosis," Centers for Disease Control, https://www.cdc.gov/shigella/index.html (accessed 10 June 2020).
[6] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 145.
[7] "Shigella--Shigellosis," Centers for Disease Control, https://www.cdc.gov/shigella/index.html (accessed 10 June 2020).
[8] Ibid.
[9] Stephen Buhner, Herbal Antibiotics, 71.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Ibid, 142.
[12] Ibid, 180, 189.
[13] Ibid, 53.

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