Sydney Shigella alert

Positive Life has sent out an email, alerting HIV+ people of an increase in Shigella in Sydney amongst gay men. I've never had it myself. Comes from poor hygiene, but is extremely contagious. Take note darlings, this is most of the email:

Increases in Shigella notifications among Sydney Gay Men - Towards the end of 2013 there was an increase in Shigella notifications in Sydney among Gay Men (men who have sex with men). This increase has continued into 2014 and doctors have reported encountering complications when treating Shigella in Gay Men with HIV. Shigella (Shigellosis) is an infectious disease caused by a group of bacteria call Shigella, the most common of which in the Sydney outbreak is Shigella sonnei. There have also been some cases of Shigella flexneri. There have been reports of HIV positive Gay Men being admitted to hospital with severe infections and associated complications. Shigella infection can cause severe and debilitating diarrhoea. 

Transmission - Shigella bacteria are found in faeces and can also be present in contaminated food. Shigella is highly infectious, regardless of whether or not a person has HIV. Shigella is transmitted by contact with very small amounts of human faeces. This can occur as a consequence of poor hygiene, for example, by not washing hands after having diarrhoea, or during sexual activities. Examples of sexual activities include: rimming, fingering, fisting, anal sex, handling sex toys after use in the anus, used douching equipment and oral sex can all contribute to infection. Additionally, the bacteria may pass from dirty fingers to the mouth. 

Prevention - Basic hygiene and hand washing will reduce the risk of transmission. Wash your hands with warm water and soap, after sex, after using the toilet and before preparing food. Use a condom for anal sex, latex gloves for fingering and fisting, and a latex square for rimming. Don’t share sex toys unless they’re washed or covered by a new condom each time they are used. It is best not to prepare food for other people while you have symptoms. Don’t share towels and clean taps, door handles and the toilet with hot soapy water. 

Treatment - If you have: severe diarrhoea; blood in the diarrhoea; and a low CD4 cell count (less than 200 copies), you should see a doctor urgently. Shigella can be successfully treated with antibiotics. Treatment can also reduce the risk of passing the infection on. Shigella can be resistant to some antibiotics, so the doctor will chose the treatment based on the strain of Shigella an if there is a resistance to particular antibiotics. Analysis of a faeces sample will identify the stain of Shigella. 

Drink plenty of water and you could also use rehydration drinks to replace the salts and water that you have lost. Once you have had Shigella, you are unlikely to get infected with that specific type again for at least several years. However, you can still be infected with other strains of Shigella. 

It is best if you stay away from work, school, college, etc. for at least 48 hours after the last episode of diarrhoea or vomiting. Avoid contact with other people as much as possible while you’re infectious.