Pflugerville ISD Students Stricken With Intestinal Infections

PFLUGERVILLE, TX -- School district officials have confirmed that two students at separate middle schools were diagnosed with intestinal infections, according to a report.

Both students were stricken with shigella, an infection with unpleasant symptoms (diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting)m KEYE-TV reports. Shigella is passed between people primarily as a result of lack of hand washing after going to the bathroom.

District officials said the affected students attend Dessau Middle School and Cele Middle School. A letter was sent home to parents explaining the affliction with tips on preventing its spread.

A district spokesman told the news station the two infections were unrelated.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the infection (formal name of shigellosis) takes its name from a family of bacteria known as shigella. The main symptom of shigella infection is diarrhea, which often is bloody.

But it's not always the fault of victims succumbing to shigella. The Mayo Clinic website indicates a common form of shigeall spreading is in a child care setting "...when staff members don't wash their hands well enough after changing diapers or helping toddlers with toilet training."

Shigella bacteria also can be passed in contaminated food or by drinking or swimming in contaminated water, Mayo Clinic officials note on their website.

Most susceptible are children between the ages of 2 and 4. A mild case usually clears up on its own within a week, but also can be treated with prescribed antibiotics, according to the website.