View source for Shigellosis

==Treatment==
Treatment consists mainly of replacing fluids and salts lost because of diarrhea. Replacement by mouth is satisfactory for most people, but some may need to receive fluids intravenously. Antidiarrheal drugs (such as [[diphenoxylate]] or [[loperamide]]) may prolong the infection and should not be used.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/shigella/ |title=How can ''Shigella'' infections be treated? |date=17 January 2019 |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |work=Shigellosis: General Information |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160208061009/http://www.cdc.gov/shigella/ |archive-date=8 February 2016}}</ref>

===Antibiotics===
Antibiotics should only be used in severe cases or for certain populations with mild symptoms (elderly, immunocompromised, food service industry workers, child care workers). For ''Shigella''-associated diarrhea, [[antibiotics]] shorten the length of infection,<ref>{{cite journal |last2=David |first2=Kirubah V |last3=John |first3=Sushil M |last4=Sankarapandian |first4=Venkatesan |last5=Christopher |first5=Prince RH |year=2010 |title=Antibiotic therapy for ''Shigella'' dysentery |journal=The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |issue=8 |article-number=CD006784 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD006784.pub4 |pmid=20687081 |pmc=6532574 |last1=Christopher |first1=Prince RH|volume=2010 }}</ref> but they are usually avoided in mild cases because many ''Shigella'' strains are becoming resistant to common antibiotics.<ref name="Kahsay">{{cite journal |last1=Kahsay |first1=AG |last2=Muthupandian |first2=S |title=A review on Sero diversity and antimicrobial resistance patterns of ''Shigella'' species in Africa, Asia and South America, 2001-2014 |journal=BMC Research Notes |date=30 August 2016 |volume=9 |issue=1 |page=422 |doi=10.1186/s13104-016-2236-7 |pmid=27576729 |pmc=5004314 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Furthermore, effective medications are often in short supply in developing countries, which carry the majority of the disease burden from ''Shigella''. Antidiarrheal agents may worsen the sickness, and should be avoided.<ref>{{cite web |title=How can ''Shigella'' infections be treated? |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/shigellosis/#treat |work=Shigellosis: General Information |publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |access-date=11 February 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211044845/http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/shigellosis/#treat |archive-date=11 February 2012}}</ref>

In most cases, the disease resolves within four to eight days without antibiotics. Severe infections may last three to six weeks. Antibiotics, such as [[trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole]], [[ciprofloxacin]] may be given when the person is very young or very old, when the disease is severe, or when the risk of the infection spreading to other people is high. Additionally, [[ampicillin]] (but not [[amoxicillin]]) was effective in treating this disease previously, but now the first choice of drug is [[pivmecillinam]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Katzung |first=Bertram G. |title=Basic and Clinical Pharmacology |year=2007 |publisher=McGraw Hill Medical |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-0-07-145153-6 |page=733}}</ref>