Shigella outbreak reported in Oroville – Paradise Post

OROVILLE — Butte County Public Health is responding to an outbreak of Shigella, a stomach bug found present in Oroville that, so far, has impacted homeless people because of sanitary habits.

Oroville police and Butte County Public Health conducted outreach to homeless people over the weekend after the first case was reported Friday, according to City Administrator Brian Ring at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Ring said the city deployed handwashing stations, and Haven of Hope on Wheels provided showers and laundry in order to clean clothes and linen of the bacteria.

Danette York, director of Butte County Public Health, explained at the council meeting that the bacteria Shigella causes illness when ingested, spreads easily and comes from fecal matter.

While anyone can become infected with Shigella, York said she wanted to stress it is not limited to homeless people.

“This is not a ‘people experiencing homeless’ disease. Unfortunately, they are at higher risk along with a few other populations due to their circumstances, not because of who they are,” York said, adding that members of the general public are at lower risk for the disease if they practice consistent hygiene habits.

York said there were nine known cases as of Tuesday. Public Health disease investigators interviewed 17 people, she continued, and found 12 of the lot reported symptoms of feeling ill.

“The nine that we know about is the tip of the iceberg … the majority of people will be sick but able to run its course and get better on their own. It’s definitely out there and we want to stop it as quickly as we can,” York said.

The sickness lasts about seven days, she said, and someone with a good immune system can get through it with some diarrhea symptoms. However, people who are immunocompromised are more at risk of hospitalization and can experience dehydration from the bug.

Outreach

At-risk populations include children 5 or younger; travelers to places where food and water may be unsafe and sanitation is poor; men who have sex with men; people experiencing homelessness, and people with weakened immune systems, according to a Public Health press release.

Public Health workers worked over the weekend to educate people to stop the spread of the bacteria, and work with organizations to ensure she said.

York said best people can do is universal precautions: wash their hands with soap and water and use hand sanitizer.

“Essentially if someone is sick, doesn’t wash their hands, touches a door handle; someone else can come behind them, touch that door handle, put their hand in their mouth and it can get into their body,” York said. “It is such a minute amount of the material; you cannot see it with the visible eye.”

Public Health published a list of precautions to take, including:

• Carefully wash your hands with soap and water during key times including before preparing food or eating; before sex, and after going to the restroom or changing a diaper.

• Take care when changing diapers; clean up leaks or spills; discard diapers in a lined garbage can, and wash the child’s hands right away.