Health officials are advising people who attended a popular festival to improve their cleanliness.
A highly contagious disease transmitted through feces has affected the attendees of the Esoteric Festival in Victoria, Australia, earlier this month (March 8-12).
Shigellosis (Shigella) is an intestinal infection usually spread through contact with infected feces. It can be transmitted by touching your mouth after touching the bacteria with your hands, or through oral-anal contact.
Around 230 Esoteric Festival attendees have experienced symptoms so far – and it’s been warned that the infection is proving to be resistant to first-line antibiotics, making it difficult to treat.
Health authorities in the Australian state are urging festival attendees to seek immediate testing if they show gastro-like symptoms.
Victoria’s Acting Chief Health Officer, Ben Cowie, told Sky News Australia the intestinal infection is highly contagious and mainly transmitted through the fecal-oral route, or contaminated food.
Dr Cowie added: ‘Symptoms may include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting.
‘Symptoms usually develop one to three days following exposure but can occur as early as 12 hours to as late as one week afterwards in some cases.’
And the bacteria can continue to spread through feces for up to a month after symptoms disappear.
People with symptoms are encouraged to practice safer sex, maintain good cleanliness, practice handwashing, and avoid preparing food for others.
Shigella often causes severe diarrhea with pus or blood, as well as fever, nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps.
Dr Cowie said it was important for those with symptoms to stay hydrated and maintain good cleanliness, adding: ‘Make sure you’re getting plenty of fluids and keeping hydrated – antibiotic treatment is only required in the case of severe infection.
‘Good cleanliness can stop the spread of shigella gastroenteritis.
‘Wash your hands often and thoroughly, especially after using the toilet and before eating or preparing food.’
Esoteric Festival is described as ‘a psychedelic music, arts and lifestyle gathering’ held on Australia’s Labor Day weekend in the small town of Donald, about 190 miles north west of Melbourne.
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