In typical cases, the stools may contain blood and mucus, resulting from tiny abscesses on the intestinal wall. Convulsions may be an important complication in children. An infected person is capable of transmitting the bacteria as long as the bacteria remain in the feces. In these cases, persons do not wash their hands thoroughly after using the toilet. Contaminated fecal matter can infect open sources of water and food.
Flies can transmit enough of the bacteria from waste products to infect items of food.
The public should be educated regarding the importance of hand washing as a routine after using the toilet and before preparing and serving food. Feces should be disposed of in a sanitary manner. Use of sufficient toilet paper should be stressed to reduce hands and fingers from coming into contact with feces. Public water supplies should be protected, purified and chlorinated. Travellers in the field should boil or chemically treat the water.