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Dysentery is a type of infection that can cause very severe diarrhoea. It’s usually passed on through poor hygiene. There are two main types: bacillary dysentery, which is more common, and amoebic dysentery.

Bacillary dysentery is most common in the UK and is caused by a bacterium called Shigella, of which there are four species.

• Shigella sonnei (this is the most common cause of dysentery in the UK).
• Shigella flexneri.
• Shigella dysenteriae.
• Shigella boydii.

The shigella organism enters the body through the mouth and then multiplies in the bowel, which produces a range of symptoms.

An amoeba (a parasite that uses our bodies to help it live) called entamoeba histolytica causes amoebic dysentery. They mainly live in tropical areas, so cases in the UK are very rare but it can be picked up abroad. They enter the body through contaminated food and drink and after moving through the digestive system they live in the intestine and can cause an infection. The amoeba can also exist as a cyst (a group of amoebae surrounded by a protective wall) and these are more likely to cause an infection as they can protect themselves much better from digestive acid in the stomach.

Most people in the UK who have dysentery only have mild symptoms and may not even visit a GP as the condition can settle within a few days. Severe infections are more common if you’re travelling abroad, and in some cases, dysentery can be fatal if not treated.

Read more: Dysentery - Introduction