Family members and playmates of such children are at high risk of becoming infected. Shigella infections also may be acquired from eating contaminated food. Contaminated food may look and smell normal. Food may become contaminated by infected food handlers who forget to wash their hands with soap and water after using the bathroom. Vegetables can become contaminated if they are harvested from a field with sewage in it.
Flies can breed in infected feces and then contaminate the food.
Shigella infections also can be acquired by drinking or swimming in contaminated water. Water may become contaminated if sewage runs into it or if someone with shigellosis swims in it. There is no vaccine to prevent shigellosis. However, the spread of Shigella from an infected person to other persons can be stopped by careful handwashing with soap and water. When possible, young children with a Shigella infection who are still in diapers should not be in contact with uninfected children.