Dysentery

Abstract

Dysentery is bloody diarrhea caused by infection with certain bacteria or parasites. The most common bacterial causes are members of the Genus Shigella. Shigella are Gram-negative intracellular bacterial pathogens that cause diarrheal disease by infecting intestinal epithelial cells. Following invasion of intestinal cells, Shigella induce host cell cytoskeletal rearrangements and interfere with host cell signal transduction cascades. These effects are mediated by multiple different effector proteins that are translocated from the bacterial cell into the host cell through a type three secretion system. Translocated Shigella effector proteins modulate the host immune response, which contributes to inflammation during infection and to clearance of the organism. Antibiotics are available and effective against Shigella infection; however, isolates resistant to routine antibiotics are increasingly frequent in many areas of the world. Vaccine development is an ongoing area of research.