Overview
Dysentery is defined as diarrhea with blood, pus, or mucus. This is accompanied by abdominal pain. This disease appears in two forms:
- Amoebic dysentery (caused by a single celled parasite)
- Bacillary dysentery (Caused by an invasive bacteria)
Causes
Some of the following organisms commonly cause this disease:
- Shigella
- Campylobacter
- coli
- Salmonella
- Entamoeba histolytic
Symptoms
Some of the following symptoms are associated with this disease:
- Sudden onset of high fever
- Abdominal pain
- Cramps and bloating
- Flatulence
- Urgency to pass stool
- Feeling of incomplete emptying
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Vomiting
- Dehydration
Diagnosis
For the diagnosis of this disease, a stool sample is taken for analysis.
Treatment
For the treatment of this disease the patient can be given either Antiparasitic medications (Metronidazole, or Iodoquinol), or antibiotics (Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin, or Azithromycin).
Adequate fluid intake is a must.
