dysentery is severe diarrhea with blood and mucus in the stool. dysentery is caused by bacteria or other agents that can infect our intestines including shigella and the o157:h7 strain of e. coli. these unusually aggressive bacteria release toxins that can damage the walls of the intestines. bloody diarrhea as well as a whole-body severe illness can result. people with bloody diarrhea should call their doctor or seek medical attention urgently. they should not take over-the-counter antidiarrheal medicines like pepto-bismol or loperamide (imodium) which can make dysentery worse. the majority of people who are ill enough to be evaluated for diarrhea in the u. s. are not infected by dysentery-causing bacteria and do not have bloody stools. in developing countries dysentery is a larger public health problem.
what causes dysentery?