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Prevention of dysentery (shigellosis)
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
Prevention of dysentery (shigellosis) is based primarily on strict adherence to the technology of preparation, storage and terms of sale of food and anti-epidemic regime in preschool and school institutions.
Early diagnostics of dysentery (shigellosis) and isolation of the patient (or shigella excretor ) in a hospital or at home are important. An emergency notification to the SES (form No. 58) is filled out for all patients with shigellosis and shigellosis excretors. After isolation of the patient, final disinfection is carried out in the infection site. Contact children are placed under medical observation for 7 days; quarantine is not imposed. During the observation period, routine disinfection is carried out in the infection site, strict control of children's stool is carried out, and a stool chart is kept in the nursery groups of the kindergarten. Each child with intestinal dysfunction must be isolated and examined using a bacteriological method.
Shigella excretors are not allowed into preschool institutions until the organism is completely cleared of the pathogen; they are placed under dispensary observation. Prescribing antibiotics and chemotherapy for the purpose of clearing the organism is usually ineffective and does not reduce the period of bacterial excretion.
For active immunization, there is a vaccine for the prevention of dysentery (Shigellavac) - against Shigella Sonnei, lipopolysaccharide liquid. The Sonnei dysentery vaccine is administered once, deeply subcutaneously or intramuscularly in a dose of 0.5 ml (50 mcg) regardless of age, starting from 3 years. Vaccination is recommended for epidemiological indications, in groups visiting children's institutions, leaving for health camps, as well as all persons leaving for regions with a high incidence of Sonnei dysentery. It is also advisable to vaccinate workers in infectious hospitals and bacteriological laboratories, as well as persons employed in the field of public catering and public utilities.
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