Shigellosis is an infectious disease caused by a group of bacteria called Shigella . Most people who are infected with Shigella develop diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps a day or two after being exposed to the bacterium. The diarrhea is often bloody.
Shigellosis usually resolves in five to seven days.
In some persons, especially young children and the elderly, the diarrhea can be so severe the patient needs to be hospitalized. A severe infection with high fever also may be associated with seizures in children younger than 2 years of age. Some persons who are infected may have no symptoms at all, but may still pass the Shigella bacteria to others. The Shigella germ is actually a family of bacteria that can cause diarrhea in humans. These microscopic living creatures, which can pass from person to person, were discovered 100 years ago by a Japanese scientist named Shiga, for whom they are named.