About shigellosis
Shigellosis, also called Shigella infection, is a type of gastroenteritis caused by the Shigella bacteria. It usually causes diarrhoea. People can become infected through contaminated food or water, or through direct contact with even tiny amounts of faeces from an infected person.
Disease type:
Gastrointestinal
Vaccination available under NIP:
No
Notifiable disease:
Yes
Case definitions
Prevention, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment
For information about prevention, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, see healthdirect's Shigella infection page.
Surveillance and reporting
Shigellosis is a nationally notifiable disease.
We monitor cases through the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS).
For more on shigellosis in Australia, you can search Communicable Diseases Intelligence.
Related programs
OzFoodNet is a network of epidemiologists that monitors and responds to foodborne diseases in Australia, including shigellosis.
Date last updated: