Shigella boydii is a certain type of bacteria that is only found in certain environments. Out of the most common shapes of bacteria, Shigella boydii is bacillus, which means it has a rod like appearance.
It doesn’t have the flagella needed to move around easily, so it isn’t able to move in its natural environment. This is otherwise known as a non-motile bacteria.
This bacteria is typically discovered in the intestines of humans, and can be passed to others through direct contact or by coming into contact with contaminated food or water.
Because of this, areas with poor hygiene are more likely to have Shigella boydii prevalent in the local area.
In some areas where human manure has been used to grow certain foods, such as in India and Mexico, the Shigella boydii has been found on food.
You can get rid of Shigella boydii either by cooking or washing your food before you consume it.
This bacteria can be very harmful to the human body, and some scientists believe that it is closely related with the disease known as E.coli.
It is easy to get infected with Shigella boydii, so it will be important to practice proper hygiene methods.
How Do You Identify Shigella Boydii?
This particular bacteria can be identified using a gram staining technique. You will know if Shigella boydii is present because the gram staining test will turn pink.
This also shows that Shigella boydii is a gram negative bacteria.
It is particularly prevalent in areas of poor sanitation, bodies of water such as lakes or pools that haven’t been treated using the proper methods.
If you have been drinking water that has been contaminated with feces, then this is likely to be a source of Shigella boydii bacteria.
What Does Shigella Boydii Cause?
The Shigella boydii bacteria can cause several very recognizable health issues in people of all ages. Some of the most notable symptoms include diarrhea, dysentery, stomach cramps, and fever.
Most people who contract Shigella boydii bacteria tend to display these symptoms for around 7 days, and the symptoms will start to appear around 1 to 2 days after the person has been infected.
How the Shigella boydii bacteria gets to work is through ingestion. Once you have been exposed to the Shigella boydii bacteria, it passes through your stomach, and then will start to populate within your small intestine.
It will then start to pass itself along to your large intestines, otherwise referred to as your colon, where it starts to cause the cramps associated with the Shigella boydii bacteria.
Those who suffer from diarrhea symptoms may notice blood in their stools. The best way to prevent infecting others is to wash your hands thoroughly using soap and hot water.
If you have been infected with Shigella boydii bacteria, it will be important to stay as hydrated as possible. Dehydration is another side effect that is often associated with this bacteria.
How Do You Get Shigella Boydii Infection?
It is surprisingly easy to get infected with Shigella boydii bacteria. In fact, it will only take a small portion of the Shigella boydii bacteria to make you seriously ill.
Some people who contract Shigella boydii bacteria find that their bowel movements can take up to several months to return to normal after infection.
Interestingly, an infected person can still pass on Shigella boydii bacteria even weeks after they have been infected.
If you were to touch a surface that has been infected with Shigella boydii bacteria, and you were to touch your mouth, this would then go through the process of infecting you and getting into your body.
If you have eaten food prepared by someone carrying the Shigella boydii bacteria, this can also infect you as it will be present on their hands.
Some people may also be exposed to Shigella boydii bacteria if they were to have unprotected sexual contact where they came into contact with an infected person’s stool.
The main way that Shigella boydii bacteria tends to spread is through contaminated water, as we have outlined above.
In Summary
So there you have it! You now know that Shigella boydii is a type of bacteria which is present in the human intestines.
It can typically be spread through fecal to oral transmission, so is very prevalent in areas around the world where sanitation is poor.
Even though the Shigella boydii bacteria doesn’t have flagella to help it move around, it is a bacteria that spreads quite easily. It can take only a small amount of bacteria to infect someone.
Ever since I was a little girl, I have been fascinated by science. Every holiday I would ask for the newest science kit, and spend weeks learning with it.
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