Washing, washing, washing: Shigellosis

Shigella. It sounds like a Latin American singer, but it's actually a nasty illness with fever, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and sometimes even blood in your stool.

Hygiene is important, as many people know. There is also room for improvement in the bedroom (or wherever you have sex) when you pay attention to hygiene. Hanna Bos, a doctor at Soa Aids Nederland, warns of emerging bacteria that can cause severe intestinal problems. "Normally, these are not classified as STIs in the medical world," Hanna explains, "but they are spread through sex among men who have sex with men." Although these highly contagious bacteria, such as Shigellosis and the similar bacterium Campylobacter, are increasingly being detected in men who have sex with men, they are not as common as STIs like Gonorrhea. "Still, it's good to be extra vigilant about them."

Shigella. It sounds like a Latin American singer, but it's actually a nasty illness with fever, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and sometimes even blood in your stool. The first symptoms appear about 1-3 days after infection. "Shigellosis can make you incredibly sick, but it's only really dangerous for vulnerable people. The general treatment is rest, plenty of fluids, and letting it run its course. Antibiotics are only prescribed for severe infections. Usually, it goes away on its own."

Although most people experience symptoms for only about four days, if you're unlucky, you can continue to have symptoms for up to two weeks. Sometimes you can still transmit the bacterium to others up to a month later. If you experience dehydration due to diarrhea, contact your doctor. Especially if you have HIV or a weakened immune system.

Adequate fluids and oral rehydration solution (ORS) help prevent dehydration. ORS, available at a pharmacy or drugstore, is a solution of salts and (grape) sugar or starch in water. It quickly replenishes sugar and salt deficiencies in your body.

Before having sex, it's a good idea to have both yourself and your partner take a shower. This significantly reduces the chances of a bacterial infection.

Fortunately, there is good news: an infection can be effectively prevented. Good hygiene reduces the risk of transmitting microorganisms that need to enter the mouth to cause disease. Before having sex, it's a good idea to have both yourself and your partner take a shower. This significantly reduces the chances of a bacterial infection. Additionally, it's advisable not to engage in sexual activity when you're experiencing gastrointestinal issues, or at least take extra hygiene precautions in such cases. "The route of transmission is from the anus to the mouth," explains Bos. "This includes actions such as fingering, anal sex, rimming, and sharing sex toys. However, remember that good hygiene does not reduce the risk of 'common' STIs like Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Syphilis, or HIV."

To reduce the risk of Shigellosis as much as possible, taking a shower before engaging in sexual activity is indeed a good idea. Additionally, washing your hands before and during sex helps. This not only reduces the chances of Shigella but can also prevent hepatitis A and C in many cases through good hygiene practices. If you've touched a condom after it was used during sex, wash your hands. If you've been using a sex toy, wash your hands and disinfect the sex toy. If you've engaged in fingering, wash your hands once more. If you've just had sexual intercourse with someone, wash your penis before continuing with sexual activity.

And Shigellosis is not only transmitted through sexual contact: during toilet use, the toilet seat, flush button, and other objects can become contaminated.

A bacterial infection with Shigellosis is a so-called notifiable disease: if a doctor diagnoses the disease in a person, it is reported to the local health authority (GGD in the Netherlands). In cases of individuals with Shigellosis, the GGD attempts to identify the source. And household members and sex contacts are examined for Shigellosis if they have symptoms. The GGD provides advice to prevent further spread. After a Shigellosis infection, individuals are not allowed to return to work immediately, especially if they work in the food industry or healthcare, even after the symptoms have disappeared. Bos says, "Sometimes, even after the symptoms have gone away, you can still be a carrier. This means you have no symptoms but continue to excrete the bacterium in your stool. That's why we ask people who get Shigellosis if they work in the food industry or healthcare. There is a famous story of an American chef who was a carrier of Typhoid, didn't wash her hands properly after using the toilet, and infected whole populations."

Read more about Shigellosis

This story is an adapted and translated version of an article that was previously published on Winq.nl.
Text: Martijn Tulp