An official investigation into hundreds of people suffering from fever and diarrhea in Shouxian County, Anhui Province, what is the result of the investigation?

Recently, an incident occurred in Baoyi Town, Shouxian County, Anhui Province where hundreds of people had fever and diarrhea. These hundreds of people successively developed symptoms of fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. After preliminary investigation by the relevant departments, it was determined that Shigella infection. Fortunately, the condition of most patients has generally improved, and some have been cured and discharged. After the incident, in order to prevent water body infections, relevant departments have closed the water plant in Baoyi Town.

Many people may have never heard of Shigella, so what exactly is it? Shigella is the most common intestinal infectious disease, with the most patients in summer and autumn. It is currently only found in humans and apes. After infection, it usually leads to dysentery, and a very small number of individuals in sensitive groups can develop the disease. The infection is mainly through the consumption of contaminated food. Usually, only about 100 pathogenic bacteria are ingested to cause infection. Shigella dysenteriae can be excreted in the feces of patients or carriers and spread orally through contaminated food, water, hands, etc., so we should pay attention to dietary hygiene.

The most common symptoms of Shigella infection are diarrhea, fever, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, flatulence, and constipation. Regular stool may contain blood or pus. Be aware that in rare cases young children may have epilepsy. After illness, the incubation period for symptoms can last up to a week, but symptoms most often begin two to four days after infection, and symptoms usually disappear after a few days. At the same time, Shigella is also one of the causes of reactive arthritis worldwide.

It is reported that there are about 14,000 cases of shigellosis every year, mainly transmitted through the digestive tract, with a high incidence rate. Shigella can spread quickly in crowded and unsanitary conditions and is often found in places where large numbers of people gather, such as restaurants and canteens. In addition, shigellosis outbreaks may occur if workers in the food processing industry suffer from bacillary dysentery, those who come into contact with food have poor personal hygiene, or if contaminated food is stored at inappropriate temperatures. So if we want to prevent and control shigellosis, the best measures are to maintain good personal hygiene and pay attention to the sanitary treatment of sewage.