Search Shigella Shigella is a Gram-negative bacterium that causes a spectrum of intestinal disease in humans. This germ can be a real problem in group child care settings. The incubation period varies from 1 to 7 days but is usually 2 to 4 days. The mildest form of disease consists of loose stools for a few days, with little else in the way of symptoms. Patients with small bowel involvement with the germ can have a sudden onset of fever, systemic toxic effects, headache, and a profuse, watery diarrhea.
Seizures can occur, triggered by a toxin released by the germ.
In fact, sometimes the seizure is the first manifestation of illness in a previously healthy child with no seizure history in the past. The mystery is solved when the child subsequently has a large diarrhea stool, which subsequently tests positive for Shigella bacteria. Animals do not harbor this germ. Eating or drinking contaminated food or water or contact with a contaminated toy or other object also are important modes of transmission of the disease. Patients are thus contagious until the germ is no longer present in the feces.