COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Columbus Public Health officials are increasing the education on a bacteria spreading in the Central Ohio area.
Shigella spreads from person to person through fecal-oral contact.
Shigella causes a wide range of symptoms from diarrhea, cramping, vomiting and nausea to more serious complications and illnesses.
"We have moved some of our staff to focus on shigella, look at outreach in the community," said Dr. Mysheika Lemaile-Williams, of Columbus Public Health.
This once was thought of as a daycare concern, the health department says more and more, the problems start at home.
The number of confirmed cases in this area jumped from ten to more than 500 in one year.
The only solution: clean, clean, clean. That means handwashing and disinfecting.
The health department is going into the community, sending out packets, all to get people thinking and staying healthy.
For more information on Shigella, visit: http://www.publichealth.columbus.gov/health_topics/health_topic_96.asp.
Below is the number of Shigella cases reported to Columbus and Franklin County by Zip Code:
NOTE: Data covers June 2008 to April 15, 2009
Zip_Code
# Of Cases
43004
18
43016
<5
43017
<5
43026
5
43035
<5
43054
<5
43068
45
43081
13
43082
<5
43085
<5
43110
24
43119
15
43123
11
43125
12
43147
<5
43201
17
43202
<5
43203
16
43204
21
43205
21
43206
35
43207
54
43209
21
43211
45
43212
<5
43213
39
43215
6
43217
5
43219
62
43220
<5
43221
<5
43222
<5
43223
18
43224
36
43227
44
43228
31
43229
39
43230
16
43231
7
43232
52
43235
<5
Total
766
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