This highly contagious disease is on the rise in Oregon; know symptoms

The alarming rise of highly contagious bacterial diseases in a densely populated area of Oregon has officials concerned. The outbreak is driven by two strains resistant to several antibiotics, as per authorities cited by media reports. According to the Multnomah Health Department, cases of dysentery, or shigellosis, are rising in the Portland metropolitan area. Health officials in Multnomah County reported as many as 40 cases of dysentery throughout January, KOIN reported citing the county health department.

Health officials, however, have not detected a more severe strain that can even prove to be fatal. Dysentery is primarily characterised by bloody diarrhoea. Other symptoms may include painful stomach cramps, vomiting, nausea, and fever. Death from dysentery is uncommon in developed countries like the US. Though it is mostly categorised as a bacterial infection, the disease, according to the World Health Organisation, can be caused by a range of other infectious agents, including viruses, protozoa, and parasitic worms.

Dysentery cases rising since 2012

Multnomah County has witnessed a steady rise in dysentery cases since 2012. Last year, as many as 158 cases of the infection were recorded. In 2023, the caseload stood at 96. Prior to that, in 2022, it was 43. That figure was, in turn, a rise in comparison to the number of cases in 2021, when 36 cases were reported. However, the caseload in 2021 was significantly lower than that of 2020, when 87 cases of dysentery were recorded.


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Homeless people most affected

Homeless people and individuals with substance abuse problem have been particularly affected by the recent spike of dysentery in Oregon, Dr John Townes, the medical director for infection prevention and control at Oregon Health and Science University told Metro. As per the health department, homeless individuals made up to 56 per cent of the dysentery cases recorded recently. Overall, 55 per cent of the new cases were in people struggling with methamphetamine or opioid addiction, according to the department.

What did the health department advise

"When you don’t have housing, it is harder to prevent infectious disease and harder to access care to treat disease compared to if you are housed," the health department official were stated saying, adding, "The rise in Shigella cases over recent years is concerning and is a result of multiple pathways of transmission. Investments made in public health are critical for monitoring and slowing the spread of disease."

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FAQs

What are the symptoms of dysentery?
Dysentery is primarily characterised by bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include painful stomach cramps, vomiting, nausea, and fever.

How fatal is dysentery?
Death from dysentery is uncommon in developed countries like the US.