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
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NIH-Funded Researchers Begin Trial of Shigella Vaccine Candidates—Feb. 20, 2013