A gastro bacteria that causes acute diarrhoea is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, prompting a warning to Victorian doctors from state health officials.
The shigella bacteria is characterised by an acute onset of diarrhoea, fever, nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps, the Victorian Department of Health said.
There has been "an increase the number of shigellosis cases resistant to multiple antibiotics", the department said in a statement issued on Thursday.
Doctors have been told to report all suspected and confirmed cases of shigellosis and ensure all samples are tested for antibiotic resistance so that effective treatment can be prescribed.
High risk populations include men who have sex with men, who have been observed to have a high resistance to two antibiotics, and all travellers from overseas.
SHIGELLA FAST FACTS
- Transmission is by faecal to mouth
- Incubation period is one to three days
- Causes diarrhoea, fever, nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps
- Faeces may contain blood, mucus and pus
- Cases remain infectious for up to a month after symptoms clear
- Effective treatment should reduce infectiousness to a few days.
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