Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Water Wary Flint Residents Face Bacterial Outbreak

Flint residents and the surrounding counties are facing an uptick in a bacterial illness frequently associated with poor hand washing hygiene.

Genesee County, where Flint is the largest city, has seen a significant increase in shigellosis, a highly communicable illness that "can be stopped by frequent and careful hand washing with soap and taking other hygiene measures," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

"It is not a pleasant illness," said Suzanne Cupal, Public Health Division Director with the Genesee County Health Department. "You lose weight, get dehydrated, vomit, and have bloody diarrhea."

Genesee county had 76 confirmed of shigellosis since October of last year, she said. The average is about 20 per year. Neighboring Saginaw County has also seen a sharp rise in the infectious disease, she said. 

Click here for the full article.

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