Treatment is undertaken using specific antibiotics, including metronidazole. Several species of the Genus Shigella cause dysentery. These pathogens are distributed world-wide. Dysentery is rarely fatal in adults. The infection may eventually pass through the body s own mechanisms.
Treatment includes a variety of antibiotics and ingestion of fluids to avoid dehydration.
The pathogen has a tough, outer shell, which means that it can survive outside of a host for extended periods of time. Giardia is transmitted by both animals and humans, and is commonly contracted in pristine, natural watersheds. Also called beaver fever, giardiasis is the resulting illness and may cause nausea, anorexia, fever, and severe diarrhea. The symptoms last for several days only, and the body can naturally rid itself of the parasite in one to two months. However, for individuals with weakened immune systems, the body often cannot rid itself of the parasite without medical intervention, and symptoms may recur periodically for months or years until eliminated with antibiotics.