Outbreak in Flint, Michigan

Flint, Michigan is dealing with another outbreak. This time, it is an infectious bacterial disease called Shigellosis, which typically spreads when people do not wash their hands. There are about 500,000 cases of Shigellosis in the U.S every year.

Shigellosis is caused by the Shigella bacteria, and its symptoms include, fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea which can lead to dehydration. Symptoms usually resolve themselves within five to seven days without any kind of treatment, but it is very contagious.

A water crisis has plagued residents in Flint, Michigan for more than two years. Last Year, people experienced rashes and hair loss when high levels of lead was found in the local water supply.

Still afraid and mistrustful of the water, people of flint are still using filtered or bottled water, and they are taking less baths, and are refusing to wash their hands.

“People aren’t bathing, because they are scared.” Said Jem Hennery, Geneses County’s Environmental Health supervisor. “Some people have mentioned that they’re not going to expose their children to the water again.”

Instead people are relying on baby wipes which they can get for free at bottled water distribution centers. “But baby wipes are not effective, there are not chlorinated, it does not kill the bacteria and it does not replace bathing.” Hennery said.