Lakeland Shigella Outbreak News
Between December 2015 and January 2016, four patients and three employees at Lakeland Behavioral Health in Springfield, Missouri were sickened with Shigella.
Shigella infection (also referred to as shigellosis) is caused by a group of bacteria called Shigella.
Typical symptoms of shigelosis may include diarrhea (sometimes bloody); blood, mucus, or pus in stool; fever; abdominal pain or cramping; nausea and vomiting; tenesmus (straining to have bowel movements, even when the bowel is empty); and malaise. Symptoms may appear as early as 8 hours to as late as 2 days after consuming Shigella contaminated food or after coming into contact with Shigella bacteria.
To learn more about Shigella and your legal rights, please see About Shigella.
Preventing and Treating the Spread of Shigella
Kendra Findley, administrator of community health and epidemiology for the city of Springfield, explains, “Shigella is dangerous because it is so easily spread.”
Findley continued to provide instruction on how to best prevent Shigella outbreaks: “The best thing you can do is personal hygiene. Washing hands often with soap and water is the number one thing for patients and employees, then disinfect common surfaces within the workplace environment and patient environment.”
In the face of the Lakeland Shigella outbreak, Findley recommended that Lakeland isolate the sick patients and tell sick employees to stay home.
She elaborated on the Lakeland Shigella outbreak, explaining that those who have already contracted Shigella simply need to take an antibiotic to kill the bacteria off from the gastrointestinal tract.
“We are still working closely with Lakeland to make sure that the outbreak is under control and will continue to work with them till we are at a point that we have no new disease transmission,” Findley concluded.
Vist the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to learn more about Shigella prevention and treatment.
Obtain A Free Shigella Lawsuit Evaluation
If you are diagnosed with Shigella, are awaiting medical confirmation of infection, or have a question regarding your legal rights, you can request a free legal case evaluation from The Weinberg Law Firm by submitting the easy to use Shigella Lawsuit form found on this page. You can also call us toll free at 1-877-934-6274. Our phones are answered 24/7.
