Dysentery cases on the rise in the Portland area: 40 new cases reported in January alone

Yahoo

03-03-2025

An uptick in dysentery, the diarrhea-inducing disease often associated with frontier times past, is on the rise in the Portland, Oregon metro area, according to new health data.
First reported by local outlets KOIN and The Oregonian, the increase in cases of the contagious gastrointestinal condition was reflected in new health data shared by the Multnomah County Health Department, which reported 40 cases in January. Portland is the county seat of Multnomah.
Known best for causing stomach cramps, vomiting, bloody diarrhea and fever - and perhaps for killing off countless characters in the beloved video game "Oregon Trail" – dysentery has been consistently on the rise in the Portland region year-over-year since 2012, officials told KOIN.
Data released by the health department showed several spikes in cases between 2017 and 2024, though last year's infection number of 158 in Multnomah County blew past years out of the water. That end-of-the-year number likewise represented a 62-case increase between 2024 and 2023 (96 infections.)
The Multnomah County Health Department did not immediately respond to request for comment.
The dysentery infection currently spreading most prominently among Multnomah County is shigellosis, the most common form of dysentery infection caused by the shigella bacteria.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that in the U.S., approximately half a million people per year become infected with shigellosis.
In the Portland area, health officials said 56% of cases were among people experiencing homelessness and 55% of cases reported methamphetamine and/or opiate usage. The spread is more prominent amongst drug users and men who have sexual contact with other men, as anal contact is more likely to spread the disease via infected fecal particles.
The rising rate of people with unstable housing situations in the metro area – and therefore less access to plumbing and other hygiene needs – has likely been a major contributor to the spread, something the city previously tried to address by maintaining public toilets near areas with a high unhoused population.
'Housing is related to nearly all aspects of health, including infectious diseases,' the Multnomah County Health Department told KOIN in a statement. 'Lacking housing creates a context that can increase the risk of multiple kinds of infectious disease. When you don't have housing, it is harder to prevent infectious disease and harder to access care to treat disease compared to if you are housed."
Dr. John Townes, medical director for infection prevention and control at Oregon Health & Science University, told The Oregonian the trend can be curbed by simple, increased access to public toilets and handwash stations year-round.
'If you want to stop an outbreak of shigella, you give people toilets and soap and water,' Townes told the outlet. 'And you train them in how to wash their hands.'
The local health department is working to provide temporary housing for those who do test positive, both local outlets reported.
Dysentery is a gastrointestinal disease caused by an infection that is most commonly recognized by the trademark symptom of bloody diarrhea.
There are two main types, according to the Cleveland Clinic: Amoebic dysentery (amoebiasis), which is caused by a parasite, most commonly one called Entamoeba histolytica. People in the U.S. are more likely to become infected with this form of dysentery if they recently traveled to a country with poorer water sanitation.
The second type, Bacillary dysentery, is caused by a bacterial infection and is the most common type of dysentery. Some of the most common bacteria that cause this form of dysentery include shigella, salmonella, campylobacter and E. coli.
The most common form is dysentery caused by the shigella bacteria, in which case the infection is called shigellosis.
Dysentery of any kind is most commonly spread via the ingestion of food or water that has been handled by an infected person. Because it spreads through trace fecal particles, unwashed hands can often be the culprit for the spread.
Some major symptoms, like diarrhea, are consistent across infection types. Some dysentery symptoms, however, depend on if you have a parasitic or bacterial infection, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Most people who have amoebic dysentery don't have any symptoms, and they can take 2-4 weeks after infection to appear. However, mild symptoms may occur and include:
Diarrhea
High fever
Nausea and vomiting
Weight loss
Upset stomach
In rare cases, an abscess may form as a result of the parasite moving
Dehydration
Symptoms of bacillary dysentery often occur 1-3 days after infection and may include:
Diarrhea containing blood or mucus
High fever
Nausea and vomiting
Painful stomach cramps (abdominal pain)
Dehydration
In severe cases, it may cause extreme inflammation, widening (dilation) of your large intestine and acute kidney disease.
While many of these symptoms may sound relatively common, dysentery is not only highly contagious but can and does result in death.
In fact, diarrhoeal disease, which includes dysentery and cholera, is the third leading cause of death in children under 5 worldwide and is responsible for killing around 443,832 children every year, according to the World Health Organization.
Most people can recover on their own with basic care like drinking plenty of water within 7-14 days. Certain groups of people are more prone to developing severe cases of dysentery, including:
Young children
People 50 years of age and older
People who have dehydration or malnutrition
Practicing good hygiene is the best way to prevent contracting or spreading dysentery. Thoroughly washing your hands with soap and running water after using the bathroom and before and after handling or eating food is the surest way to stay safe.
Other ways to prevent dysentery, according to the Cleveland Clinic:
Don't share personal items with other people, including toothbrushes, drinking glasses and towels.
Don't use water unless you're sure it's sanitized or sterile (free of germs). This includes water for drinking, cooking and brushing your teeth.
Stay away from people who have dysentery.
Wash all fruits and vegetables with clean running water. Peel them before eating them.
Thoroughly cook all food.
If you're traveling to an area where dysentery is common, it's also a good idea to avoid ice cubes, fountain drinks, water or soft drinks that aren't in a sealed container and unpasteurized dairy and juice products.
If you or a loved one do end up contracting dysentery, you can avoid spreading it to others:
Avoid other people.
Do not have sexual contact with anyone else.
Don't prepare food for other people.
Don't swim.
Regularly clean toilets, sinks and door handles with disinfecting products.
Wash your laundry in hot water at temperatures at least 130°F (60°C).
If you end up with an amoebicinfection, a medical professional will prescribe your medication to treat it. Otherwise, supportive care is generally used such as IV fluids for dehydration, antibiotics to assist with infection symptoms, anti-nausea medications and if needed, blood transfusions.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dysentery cases are up in the Portland, Oregon area: Here's why