Connect with us

General

Bacteria infected water sickens 500 people in China

Published

Bacteria infected water



About 500 people in the rural town of Baoyi, eastern China, have been infected with shigella bacteria — a genus of microbes that can cause dysentery after drinking contaminated water.

Baoyi is about 550 kilometres (342 miles) west of Shanghai, one of China’s financial hubs.

The development that saw nearly 300 hospitalised after developing fever and diarrhoea, prompted the closure of the town’s water supply, the state media reported on Monday.

Video footage posted on social media by the state-run People’s Daily on Monday showed patients, mostly the elderly and children, sitting in rows of beds in a local hospital.

Based on reports, fears over the safety of drinking water remain a problem for much of China — including its wealthiest cities, where many residents rely on bottled or boiled water.

According to Mayo Clinic, an online health portal, Shigella infection (shigellosis) is an intestinal disease caused by a family of bacteria known as shigella.

It notes that the main sign of shigella infection is diarrhoea, which often is bloody, adding that it can be passed through direct contact with the bacteria in the stool.

“Shigella bacteria also can be passed in contaminated food or by drinking or swimming in contaminated water.

“Children under age five are most likely to get shigella infection, but it can occur at any age.

“A mild case usually clears up on its own within a week. When treatment is needed, doctors generally prescribe antibiotics,” Mayo Clinic said.

PUNCH Healthwise



Trending