CBS12 News Team

Virulent 'stomach flu' on the rise in St. Lucie County

ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. -- St. Lucie County Health Department is reporting a substantial increase in shigella cases countywide, with 49 laboratory confirmed cases since the beginning of this year.
The majority of these cases have been found in young children and their families.
The health department has been working with child care centers, physicians, Department of Children and Families, St. Lucie County School District and the Early Learning Coalition to alert families.
Shigellosis is caused by an infection with a group of bacteria called shigella. This infection usually causes a mild, self-resolving illness (meaning the body will fight off the infection without treatment), and most people recover completely within 4 to 7 days.
Shigellosis is very contagious and spreads easily from person to person. The infection is acquired by swallowing something contaminated with the feces of an infected person. This most commonly happens when an infected person does not wash his/her hands properly after a bowel movement and then touches someone else's hands or prepares food for others. Even people without symptoms can carry the bacteria and pass it on to others. Shigellosis generally comes in cycles characterized by large community outbreaks, frequently associated with child care settings.
Once a person is infected, symptoms may develop within 1 to 3 days and can include:

-- Watery and/or bloody diarrhea
-- Fever
-- Nausea and/or vomiting

To prevent the spread of Shigella , the St. Lucie County Health Department recommends:

-- People experiencing diarrhea should remain home from school or work until at least 24 hours after their symptoms stop
-- Wash hands carefully after bathroom visits, diaper changes, play time, and handling of pets or soil and before food preparation and eating
-- Wash hands for at least 20 seconds and use soap and running water to lather and rinse the palms, backs of hands, between fingers, under fingernails, and around wrists. Proper hand washing is the most effective way to prevent shigellosis and many other diseases
-- Hand washing among children should be frequent and supervised by an adult. This is especially true in child care facilities and homes with children who have not been fully toilet trained
-- Clean and disinfect bathrooms, diaper changing areas, and soiled toys frequently on a routine basis
-- People with diarrhea should not prepare food or drinks for others

Some situations will require more stringent guidelines in order to be cleared to return:

-- Food service workers identified with shigellosis, require two separate negative stool specimens collected at least 24 hours apart before returning to work.
-- If a facility is experiencing an outbreak of shigellosis, patients and facilities are instructed to follow the Guidance for Control of Outbreaks of Enteric Disease in Child Care Centers [Rule 64D-3.040 Florida Administrative Code] and must meet one of the following criteria:
-- Child care attendee/staff must be treated with appropriate antibiotics for at least 48 hours AND be symptom free for at least 24 hours before they can return to school or work
-- Symptomatic but untreated child care attendee/staff may return after they document two (2) negative stool cultures

The health department recommends anyone with gastrointestinal ("stomach flu") like symptoms that progressively worsen should see their primary health care provider.

Tuesday, May 1 2012, 02:34 PM EDT

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