Silent Epidemic: Dysentery Cases Reach Alarming Levels in US
United States: The frequency of dysentery infections reaching intolerable levels in Oregon caused 40 new cases in Portland in just January.
According to Oregon Live, 158 people in Multnomah County developed the illness in 2024, and all of them remained within state borders, indicating they contracted it within the US.
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Out of the total 40 confirmed cases, health officials disclosed to the news outlet their belief that homeless individuals accounted for many uncounted dysentery cases throughout the city.
According to Dr. Amanda Risser, a senior medical director for the health care and housing services agency Central City Concern, “Any situation where [you are] unable to wash your hands regularly will put you at risk for [the bacteria which causes dysentery] shigella, and I think unsheltered homelessness certainly contributes to people just really not having places to do that,” people.com reported.
The number of dysentery cases reported in Multnomah County has been progressively rising since 2012, according to KOIN, which describes 2023 as the year when outbreaks in the region peaked.
The annual cases surged in 2023 as the count increased from 43 the previous year to 96 in 2023.
Rising menace in the state
The bacterial infection attained statewide fame because it appeared in the 1980s video game Oregon Trail, which told players they “died from dysentery” while the illness can lead to dehydration symptoms.
The serious illness shigellosis “spreads easily” yet beyond its humor, is a condition that displays symptoms including frequent diarrhea that can be bloody along with fever and stomach pain, according to the US Centers for Disease Control, people.com reported.
Furthermore, similar to norovirus, “Shigella germs are in poop, so anything that gets contaminated by poop can potentially spread the germs,” the CDC mentioned.
The reported spread of dysentery might stem from inadequate bathroom access, according to OL, which documents a total of only 116 restrooms throughout the city, although many facilities become unavailable during high temperatures or nighttime hours because of frozen pipe risk.
The statistic shows that more than 11,000 locals experience homelessness based on a June 2024 Multnomah County report.
The Multnomah County strains of dysentery currently show resistance against antibiotic treatments, according to reports by OL.
