Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Dysentery overview
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Dysentery is bloody diarrhoea, i.e. any diarrhoeal episode in which the loose or watery stools contain visible red blood. Dysentery is most often caused by Shigella species (bacillary dysentery) or Entamoeba histolytica (amoebic dysentery).
Epidemiology and Demographics
Epidemiology and Demographics
Insufficient data exists, but conservative estimates from the WHO suggest that 90 million cases of Shigellosis are contracted annually, with at least 100,000 of these resulting in death.[1] Amebiasis is infecting over 50 million people each year, killing about 50,000.[2]
References
References
- ↑ World Health Organization. “Diarrhoeal Diseases”. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
- ↑ Byrne, Joseph Patrick (2008). Encyclopedia of Pestilence, Pandemics, and Plagues: A-M. ABC-CLIO. pp. 175–176. ISBN 0-313-34102-8.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]