Travel & Lifestyle: Dysentery Cases On The Rise In Oregon As Health Officials Advocate Proper Hygiene

Health officials in Oregon are battling cases of dysentery amid a years-long rise in the highly contagious, diarrhea-inducing disease.

There have been 40 confirmed cases of shigellosis, an infectious disease that can cause dysentery, in the Portland area since January, the Multnomah County Health Department said.

Cases have been rising in Multnomah County since 2012, though they have increasingly grown within the last few years: There were 158 cases in 2024, 96 in 2023 and 43 in 2022, according to the health department.

“Cases eventually spread to the Portland Metro area in the summer of 2024 and have spread within and between housed and unhoused populations in the region since then,” a health department official said in an email Wednesday to HuffPost.

In the U.S., dysentery is commonly associated with 19th-century pioneers traveling on the Oregon Trail — thanks in large part to the classic “Oregon Trail” video game, in which players could die of ailments like dysentery, cholera and measles. (The latter is also experiencing a U.S. resurgence).

However, it remains a common and serious disease in other parts of the world, with around 1.7 billion cases annually, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Symptoms of the bacterial infection can include bloody diarrhea, fever, painful stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting. Without proper treatment, dysentery can be fatal, especially for young children, people 50 and older, and those suffering from dehydration or malnutrition.

Shigella, the bacteria that causes shigellosis, spreads easily from person to person through fecal matter.

This can happen when the bacteria from an infected person contaminates food or water, such as when food is prepared by someone who doesn’t wash their hands due to poor hygiene or lack of access to proper sanitation. It can also spread through sexual contact, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

In Oregon, about half to more than two-thirds of cases that didn’t involve international travel are believed to have possibly resulted from intimate contact, including sexual, the local health department said. (Cases involving international travel made up less than 20% of all cases.).

The largest identified group of people experiencing it within the past year ― about one-third to half ― have been those who are experiencing homelessness or housing instability. It’s also been seen among housed and unhoused social groups who use drugs, the department said.

Multnomah County contains about 20% of the state’s population but has more than 40% of the state’s homeless population, according to county figures.

The Oregonian/OregonLive has counted about 6,000 people living unhoused in Multnomah County, though found only about 116 publicly maintained restrooms in Portland.

“Any situation where (you are) unable to wash your hands regularly will put you at risk for shigella and I think unsheltered homelessness certainly contributes to people just really not having places to do that,” Dr. Amanda Risser, a senior medical director for Portland-based health care and housing services provider Central City Concern, told The Oregonian.

The health department said its efforts include public education and getting people off the streets.

“As with every reportable illness, the Multnomah County Health Department Communicable Disease team provides education about ways to reduce spread, including behavior change and post-illness recommendations,” a health official told HuffPost.

This includes information on safe food preparation and limiting sexual contact. Those who have been infected are also advised to stay out of pools and other communal bodies of water for at least two weeks after symptoms stop.

“People who work in food, child care or health care facilities are restricted from work until they test negative,” the department said.

The department is also working to provide short-term housing to those unhoused who test positive in order to boost their access to hygiene and sanitation and reduce the spread of the Shigella bacteria.

“Housing is the best intervention for reducing the spread of any infectious disease in people who are unhoused, including Shigella. Additionally, temporary housing offers greater access to hygiene and sanitation, which helps reduce the spread of Shigella and other infectious diseases,” the department said.