Shigellosis is an intestinal infectious disease that is spread primarily through consumption of contaminated food and water. Transmission also can occur via person-to-person contact or by handling contaminated surfaces. Estimates on the number of shigellosis cases vary, as many mild cases often are not diagnosed or reported. A study of major pathogens that caused foodborne disease in the United States, mostly from 2000-2008, estimated that approximately 131,000 episodes of acquired foodborne infection with Shigella occurred each year, with 20 percent of these patients requiring hospitalization.
Understanding Shigellosis
Last Updated January 06, 2012
Last Reviewed February 26, 2007
