On Monday, the Genesee County (Mich.) Health Department, which oversees public health in Flint, issued an advisory to residents regarding an increase of infections involving Shigella bacteria in the county. This is the third such advisory to be released by the county health department since May.
Shigella bacteria is highly contagious and spread from person-to-person contact. Shigella infection can cause gastrointestinal illness which includes mild to severe diarrhea and can also induce symptoms like fever, nausea, vomiting, cramps and stools containing blood.
According to MLive, the county health department has investigated 70 cases of Shigella infection dating back to October 2015. Typically, the county sees 20 cases of such infections in a year's span.
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"The fact that we have investigated that many cases is concerning to us," Suzanna Cupal, public health division director for the GCHD, told MLive.
Ms. Cupal added that some residents changed hygiene practices — like taking quicker showers — due to the Flint water crisis. The department advisory placed an emphasis on the importance of hand hygiene, encouraging residents to wash their hands for 20 seconds with soap and warm water, including cleaning beneath fingernails.
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