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Woodford County Shigella outbreak sickens at least nine day care and elementary school children

SEATTLE – Woodford County, Kentucky health officials are warning parents that nine children are ill with confirmed cases of Shigellosis, the illness caused by the Shigella bacterium. Shigella causes fever, painful abdominal cramping, and diarrhea. Parents of children who experience these symptoms should consult a physician.

Marler Clark, the Seattle law firm that represents victims of foodborne illness outbreaks, has made additional information about Shigella available on the Internet at a sponsored site: www.about-shigella.com. The site provides information on the symptoms and treatment of Shigella infections, as well as how to prevent the spread of disease.

“We know that many people who become ill with food poisoning go first to the Internet to see if they can find more information on what it is that is making them sick – in this case, Shigella,” said food safety lawyer William Marler, managing partner of Marler Clark. “We have provided resources for parents of children who may be ill with Shigella infections so they can have a better understanding of what Shigella is, and how it is treated.”

Outbreaks of Shigella are not uncommon at day care centers and in other settings where young children are in close contact with one another. Shigella is transmitted through a fecal-oral route, which means that washing hands frequently, especially after changing diapers, using the bathroom, and before preparing food, is a crucial measure to prevent disease transmission.

Marler Clark currently represents the family of a Joplin, Missouri child who became ill with E. coli O157:H7 and developed Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome after being exposed at a daycare.

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BACKGROUND: Marler Clark is the nation’s leading law firm representing victims of foodborne illness such as Shigella, E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, hepatitis A, and norovirus. The firm has represented thousands of persons made ill by eating contaminated food against restaurants and corporations such as Chili’s, Chi Chi’s, KFC, Wendy’s, and ConAgra.

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Shigella Food Poisoning

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The Incidence of Shigella Infection

How common are Shigella infections and Shigella outbreaks? The number of shigellosis cases reported annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has varied over the past several...

The Prevalence of Shigella in Food and Elsewhere

Large Shigella outbreaks have been traced to contaminated food and water. The CDC estimates that 450,000 to 500,000 total cases of shigellosis occur in the U.S. every year. The CDC...

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Human cases of Shigella are typically acquired through contact with infected persons or ingestion of food contaminated with Shigella bacteria. As previously noted, Shigella species are transmitted by the fecal-oral...

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Symptoms of Shigella infection include painful abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and fever. Most people who are infected with Shigella develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps after being exposed to the bacteria...

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