Health
Why persons suffering from dysentery shouldn’t cook, swim or have sex — Expert
Dr Adebola Adejimi is a consultant public health physician at the University of Lagos and Lagos University Teaching Hospital. She tells TOBI AWORINDE about the risks of dysentery and how to prevent infection
What is dysentery?
Dysentery is an intestinal infectious disease resulting in inflammation of the intestines, especially the colon, and causing severe diarrhoea with blood or mucus in the stool. Other symptoms may include abdominal cramps or pain, nausea, vomiting, fever with temperature of about 38°C or higher and dehydration, which can become life-threatening if left untreated. This usually lasts for between three and seven days. However, the signs and symptoms can be mild and disappear within a few days in some cases. Most of the global burden of this disease is contributed by the developing countries where over 60 per cent of the fatalities are reported among children under five years old.
What are the causes of dysentery?
Dysentery is usually spread as a result of poor hygiene, as well as poor sanitation and improper sewage disposal. The infection is often spread through contact with food or water that has been contaminated with faecal matter. Good hygiene practices, such as hand washing and proper sanitation, can help prevent dysentery and keep it from spreading. Dysentery is most often caused by shigella bacteria called Shigella bacillus or an amoeba called Entamoeba histolytica (E. histolytica). Bacillary dysentery, also known as shigellosis, produces the most severe symptoms, while Amoebic dysentery, also known as amoebiasis, is more common in the tropics. Other causes of dysentery diarrhoea include parasitic worm infections, chemical irritation, or viral infections.
Can you speak more about the symptoms of dysentery?
The symptoms of dysentery range from mild to severe. A key symptom of dysentery is bloody diarrhoea. Mild symptoms include a slight abdominal pain, cramps and diarrhoea. These usually appear from one to three days of infection, and the patient recovers within a week. Often, symptoms are so mild that a doctor’s visit may not be required, and the problem resolves within a few days. Other symptoms of dysentery include intense abdominal pain, fever and chills, nausea and vomiting, watery diarrhoea, which can contain blood, mucus or pus, malaise, fatigue, painful passing of stools and intermittent constipation.
In amoebiasis, amoeba can move through the intestinal wall and spread into the bloodstream to infect other organs. Ulcers can develop in the intestines and these may bleed, causing blood in stools. Symptoms may persist for several weeks. The amoebae may continue living within the human host after symptoms have disappeared but the symptoms may recur when the person’s immune system is weaker. Treatment reduces the risk of the amoebae surviving in the human host.
Who is at risk of dysentery?
People who live in environments with poor sanitation are at risk of having dysentery. Those who come in contact with faecal matter from people who have dysentery are most at risk. This contact may be through contaminated water, food and other drinks, as well as through swimming in contaminated water, such as lakes or pools. People who come in contact with infected persons with poor hand hygiene practices are also at risk of dysentery.
Even though anyone can develop dysentery at any age, children are most at risk of shigellosis. It can easily spread by taking contaminated food or drink. Shigellosis mostly spreads from one person to another among people who are in close contact with an infected person in places such as day care centers, schools and nursing homes.
What is the difference between bacterial and amoebic dysentery?
Bacterial dysentery, also known as shigellosis, is caused by infection with bacteria from Shigella, Campylobacter, Salmonella, or enterohemorrhagic E. coli. This type produces the most severe symptoms and mostly related to poor hygiene. On the other hand, Amoebic dysentery, also known as amoebiasis, is caused by a single-celled parasite, Entamoeba histolytica (E. histolytica), an amoeba that infects the intestines. Amoebic dysentery is less common in the developed world. It is more common in the tropics with poor sanitary conditions. The amoebae group together to form a cyst, which emerges from the body in human faeces. The amoebae can contaminate food and water and infect other humans. They can survive for long periods outside the body and can also linger on people’s hands after using the bathroom.
How can dysentery be distinguished from cholera?
Dysentery is an inflammation of the intestine characterised by the frequent passage of faeces with blood and mucus. Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the causative bacterium, which is known as Vibrio cholerae. The major symptom of cholera is massive watery diarrhoea that occurs because of a toxin secreted by the bacteria that stimulates the cells of the small intestine to secrete fluid. Cholera stools may contain faecal matter and bile in the early phases of the disease. The characteristic symptom of severe cholera is the passage of profuse “rice-water” stool, a watery stool with flecks of mucous. It typically has a ‘rice-water’ appearance and a fishy odour. There are several strains of V. cholerae and the severity of the disease is based on the particular infectious strain.
How is dysentery diagnosed?
Dysentery can be diagnosed by taking adequate history, physical examination and laboratory investigations, including testing of the stool sample to determine which bacteria are present. Laboratory results will reveal whether the infection is due to Shigella or Entamoeba histolyca infection. Other tests to decide whether an antibiotic will help can be performed. If you notice the symptoms of dysentery, please see your doctor because it can lead to severe dehydration and become life-threatening, if left untreated.
How is it treated?
Prompt medical care is required for bloody diarrhoea. Treatment may include increased fluid intake, oral rehydration solutions, IV (intravenous) fluids and antibiotics. Mild shigellosis can be treated just by resting and taking plenty of fluids. If treatment is necessary, it will depend on the results of the investigations. However, any patient with diarrhoea or vomiting should drink plenty of fluids.
Severe shigellosis can be treated with antibiotics, but the bacteria that cause it are often resistant. If your doctor prescribes an antibiotic and you don’t see improvement after a couple of days, let the doctor know. The strain of Shigella bacteria may be resistant, and your doctor may need to adjust your treatment plan.
Amoebic dysentery can be treated with metronidazole, tinidazole or secnidazole which should be based on doctor’s prescription.. These drugs kill the parasites. In some cases, a follow-up drug is given to make sure all the parasites are gone. In severe cases, your doctor may recommend an IV drip to replace fluids and prevent dehydration.
What are the repercussions of not treating dysentery?
Complications of dysentery are few, but some of them can be severe. Frequent diarrhoea and vomiting can quickly lead to dehydration. In infants and young children, this can quickly become life-threatening.
If amoebae spread to the liver, an abscess can form there. In some cases, complications of dysentery can include post-infectious arthritis, which affects about two per cent of people who get a particular strain of the Shigella bacteria called S. flexneri. These people can develop joint pain, eye irritation, and painful urination. Post-infectious arthritis can last for months or years.
There are also blood stream infections, which are rare and most likely to affect people with weak immune systems, such as people with human immunodeficiency virus or cancer. Shigella dysenteriae can also cause the red blood cells to block the entrance to the kidneys, leading to Hemolytic uremic syndrome, characterised by anaemia, low platelet count, and kidney failure. Patients have also experienced seizures after infection. Sometimes, young children can have generalised seizures.
How deadly is dysentery?
Dysentery can be fatal without adequate hydration. It is an infection of the intestinal tract and many people have mild symptoms. It is important to practise good hygiene to reduce the risk of spreading the infection.
How long does dysentery last?
Shigellosis usually goes away within a week and may not require prescription medications. It is important to practise good hand hygiene always. If you have shigellosis, avoid preparing food for other people and swimming in public places. People who have shigellosis should avoid working with children, preparing food, or having intimate contacts with others until the diarrhoea has stopped. Most people with amoebic dysentery are sick for a few days to several weeks. If you suspect amoebic dysentery, it is important to get immediate medical attention. Your doctor will prescribe medication to get rid of the parasite that causes this type of dysentery.
What preventive measures can be taken against dysentery?
Dysentery mostly stems from poor hygiene and it can be prevented through good sanitation practices. To reduce the risk of infection, people should wash their hands regularly with soap and water, and especially after using the toilet and before preparing or touching food. Make sure you eat food from reliable sources. Make sure your food is properly cooked and your fruit is properly washed before eating.
Avoid water from unknown sources and only drink water from reliable sources. It is important to make sure you drink bottled and sealed water and clean the top of the rim of drinks before drinking it. Safe sources of water include bottled water with unbroken seal, tap water that has been boiled for at least one minute; tap water that has been filtered through a one-micron filter and treated with chlorine or iodine tablets. It is best to use purified water to clean the teeth. This can reduce the frequency of dysentery by up to 35 per cent.
To prevent dysentery, it is important to be careful when changing a sick baby’s diaper, and not to swallow water when swimming. When travelling or going to these areas where dysentery is common, you should avoid drinks with ice cubes; drinks that are not bottled and sealed; food and beverages sold by street vendors; peeled fruit or vegetables, and unpasteurised milk, cheese or dairy foods.
In our communities, it is important to provide adequate potable water as well as improved water and sanitation facilities for proper hygiene. Household water should be properly treated and stored. Lack of access to safe and clean drinking water, as well as basic sanitation can promote the spread of dysentery. Adequate sanitation and toilet facilities for proper sewage disposal should be provided in homes and public places.
ENUGU — The Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, and the party’s Enugu State Governorship Candidate, Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa, on Thursday, August 13, 2026, visited Parklane Specialist Hospital, Enugu, to show solidarity with patients battling kidney disease and other related illnesses.
They arrived at about 5:00 p.m. in the company of other party leaders, including the NDC Senatorial Candidate for Enugu East, Ada Ogbu; Hon. Kentus Eze; Hon. Ike Ezugwu; Architect Everastus Odo; Comrade Obi Mamah, H(JP); Hon. Odo Joel; and other party faithful who turned out to receive Peter Obi.
The visit followed a humanitarian gathering convened by Okwuluora to draw attention to the plight of more than 500 kidney patients and their families struggling to afford treatment.
Over 500 Kidney Patients Cry for Help as Families Battle for Survival
It was an emotional scene as men, women and children living with kidney-related illnesses converged at Parklane, hoping to receive urgent assistance.
Many of the patients showed visible signs of prolonged illness and hardship. Some were due for dialysis but could not afford the treatment, leaving them and their families trapped in a painful struggle for survival.
The severity of their condition was evident, with some displaying swollen hands, arms and legs, while others had bloated abdomens and anxiety-filled faces as they awaited assistance.
Among those present was a 13-year-old boy from Akure, Ondo State. His mother said she had sold virtually everything she owned to sustain his dialysis treatment for the past five years. Despite the sacrifices, the boy was at Parklane hoping to benefit from the intervention.
The large turnout has renewed concerns over the growing burden of kidney disease and the rising cost of dialysis and transplant care in the South-East and other parts of the country.
Speaking at the event, Okwuluora commended the stakeholders who supported the initiative and called for sustained assistance for kidney patients and their families.
The national and state leadership of the NDC also commended Okwuluora for his consistent commitment to Nigerians in need, particularly those battling critical health challenges.
In his remarks, Peter Obi expressed concern after listening to the testimonies of the patients. He called on well-meaning Nigerians, corporate organisations and governments at all levels to support kidney patients in dire need of assistance.
The organisers and families of the patients expressed gratitude to Obi for honouring the invitation and using his platform to draw attention to the plight of sick and vulnerable Nigerians.
They also thanked Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa for standing with the people of Enugu during the difficult moment and for demonstrating what they described as leadership that places human lives first.
Appreciation was equally extended to NDC supporters who attended the gathering, with attendees saying their presence offered hope and reassurance to the patients and their families.
The NDC leadership reaffirmed its commitment to advocating for improved healthcare funding, greater access to dialysis and policies aimed at reducing the burden of catastrophic healthcare expenses on families in Enugu State and across Nigeria.
Gov. Peter Mbah says Enugu State remains fully ready to support Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) on health security facilities and projects within the state.
Mbah said this on Wednesday in Enugu when the Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr Jide Idris, paid him a courtesy call during a working visit to the state.
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Chief Ifeanyi Ossai, the governor said that the government had prioritised all issues concerning security especially those dealing on health security and invested heavily on health and related concerns.
According to him, we are fully ready and committed to work with you by providing land, logistics and other necessary requirements to make all health security projects/initiatives a reality.
He said, “We are fully aware of the need to focus and give priority to health security projects and issues.
“As a state, the high volume of travellers coming in their thousands to the state each day have increased our socioeconomic activities, made more investment possible and increased all forms of tourism.
“However, we recognise that only two weeks of a confirmed outbreak of any dreaded disease will scare away these large inflow of people coming into the state.
“This alone will affect and wipe away the striving tourism industry, our people’s vibrant trade and commerce, striving transport ecosystem, investors influx and the huge investment we have put to make Enugu the most attractive city in Africa.”
Mbah said that every effort or investment in health security “is in the right direction to secure our selves, investments, hopes and future.”
The governor commended the NCDC on their recent fight against COVID-19 and all initiatives to ensure prevention of Ebola virus as well as containing other outbreaks in the country.
“I must commend NCDC team for inspecting the ongoing South-East High Definition Molecular Laboratory and other health projects meant to serve our people, South-East and every Nigerian,” he said.
He assured that the government would undertake any responsibility to ensure that NCDC facilities continue running as well as protecting such facilities notwithstanding the premises they are domiciled in within the state.
On the issue of Ebola Virus, the govenor said that the state was taking the designation of Enugu State as a state with high importation risk “very serious”.
“From assessment, the scare of the disease coming to Enugu is real through the Akanu Ibiam International Airport. We are tightening all preventative measures and protocols, while ensuring robust synergy with relevant stakeholders on it.
“The state ministry of health and its partners are on alert over the issue and we are providing necessary support and access to our office on it,” he said.
Mbah called on the NCDC to give the state needed support in terms capacity building and training, close coordination and guidance as well as awareness materials and support in its preventive efforts.
Earlier, Idris said that visit was meant to access uncompleted South-East High Definition Molecular Laboratory, the level of Ebola Prevention and Preparedness at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport and other related projects.
He commended the state government on huge investment in Primary Healthcare Centres, general hospitals, tertiary hospitals and recently the Enugu International Hospital meant to attract medical tourism.
The director-general said that the NCDC wanted the state government to get involved in protecting And maintaining the South-East High Definition Molecular Laboratory and other facilities of the agency coming up in Enugu.
“We are here to strengthen the existing cordial relationship with the state and see how both NCDC and Enugu State Government can collaborate to strengthen issues of health security,” he said.
The Enugu State Government and key health sector partners have pledged a commitment to sustain the gains of the IntegratE Project.
The IntegratE Project is a five-year family planning initiative that expanded access to reproductive health services through Community Pharmacists (CPs) and Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) within the state.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, gave the commitment on Wednesday during the dissemination of the Enugu State Private Sector Family Planning performance under the IntegratE Project, which ran from Oct. 2021 to July 2026.
Ugwu said that the project had significantly improved reproductive health services and positive outcomes for women in the state over the past five years.
He described family planning as a sensitive but essential service, assuring that the government would continue expanding access while ensuring responsible use.
Ugwu said that Gov. Peter Mbah’s administration remained committed to strengthening primary healthcare outcomes in all ramifications
He revealed that more than 100 new primary healthcare centres would become operational before the end of the year.
The commissioner said that the state government’s commitment to innovation would continue to position the state as a leader in modern healthcare delivery.
Speaking, the representative of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), Mrs Ifeyinwa Ohiaeri, described the project as a major intervention that strengthened family planning services through pharmacy practice.
Ohiaeri stressed that “family planning remains critical” to reproductive, maternal and adolescent health.
She said that the dissemination provided an opportunity to review achievements, challenges and strategies for sustaining the project’s impact, while reaffirming its commitment to professional ethics and quality service delivery.
The representative of the Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Mrs Maureen Nwankwo, said the agency would sustain the gains achieved.
Nwankwo noted that the programme had helped reduce unintended pregnancies, maternal and child deaths through improved access to family planning services.
Group Director of Donor-Funded Programmes at the Society for Family Health, Mr Emeka Okafor, said the national project tested the pharmacy-led delivery model for family planning in Enugu State.
Okafor noted that while about 70 per cent of residents patronise private health providers, much of the state’s routine health data comes only from the public sector, leaving a significant gap.
He said that according to the project’s implementation report, 29,262 women accessed family planning services through trained PPMVs in Enugu State, while 14,541 referrals were made to public health facilities.
He said that the project also exceeded training targets, introduced digital supportive supervision and contributed to the institutionalisation of the Tiered Accreditation System for PPMVs.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) and the National Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED) also pledged continued support for the initiative/project at the grassroots.
No fewer than 20,966 Nigerian health workers relocated abroad within one year, according to official figures contained in the State of Health of the Nation Report 2025, obtained by Saturday PUNCH.
The mass exodus comprised 3,919 doctors, 7,487 nurses and midwives, 6,861 medical laboratory professionals, 702 pharmacists, 658 physiotherapists and hundreds of other healthcare specialists.
The growing migration came under the spotlight following the relocation of a Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Dr Salamat Aliu-Ibrahim, to the United States.
Aliu-Ibrahim, a renowned neurosurgeon, now serves as Medical Director, Paediatrics, at Freeman Children’s Clinic, a facility under Freeman Health System in Joplin, Missouri.
Data obtained from the United Kingdom’s General Medical Council showed that 4,691 Nigerian-trained doctors joined the UK medical register between May 2023 and April 2026.
According to the GMC register, 15,896 Nigerian-trained doctors are currently licensed to practise in the UK, comprising 9,664 males and 6,232 females.
However, President Bola Tinubu, on Friday, appealed to Nigerian medical professionals in the diaspora to encourage more Nigerians abroad to return home and contribute to the country’s development, stressing that there is no place like home.
20,966 Nigerian Health Workers Migrated
An analysis of the State of Health of the Nation Report 2025 showed that only 60,551 of Nigeria’s 95,456 registered doctors currently hold active practising licences, representing 63 per cent. Only 51 per cent of licensed doctors are actively employed within Nigeria’s health system.
The nursing and midwifery workforce, Nigeria’s largest health profession, has also suffered substantial losses, recording the highest level of migration among health professionals.
Although Nigeria has 267,951 registered nurses and midwives, comprising 73,130 nurses, 21,031 midwives and 173,790 nurses with post-basic qualifications, only 113,123 currently hold active practising licences, representing an effective licensing ratio of 42 per cent.
Of those with active licences, 78 per cent remain employed in the country.
The report further showed that 658 physiotherapists have migrated, leaving only 852 of the country’s 8,642 registered physiotherapists with active practising licences.
Similarly, 21 occupational therapists have migrated, while only 11 of the 176 registered professionals currently hold active licences.
There are 257 registered occupational therapist assistants, but only 51 currently possess practising licences.
The report also showed that 431 optometrists have migrated abroad. Of the 6,975 registered optometrists, only 2,156 hold active practising licences, while 66 per cent remain employed locally.
Among opticians, only 307 of the 2,976 registered professionals currently hold practising licences, while 18 have migrated abroad.
UK, US, Canada, Saudi Arabia Top Destinations
The United Kingdom remains a leading destination for Nigerian health workers, particularly doctors and nurses, due to easier professional registration, better remuneration, structured specialist training and persistent workforce shortages within the National Health Service.
Although international recruitment has slowed since 2025, Nigeria remains one of the major source countries for overseas-trained nurses practising in the UK.
A breakdown of data obtained from the UK GMC register showed that 7,875 Nigerian-trained doctors were licensed to practise in the UK in 2020, rising to 9,976 in 2022.
In 2023, the number rose further to 12,198, making Nigeria the third-largest source of foreign-trained doctors in the UK, behind India, with 38,228 doctors, and Pakistan, with 27,739.
Figures from the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council also showed a sharp rise in the number of internationally educated nurses and midwives on its register, driven largely by recruitment from countries including Nigeria, India, Ghana and the Philippines.
According to the council, the number of Nigerian nurses and midwives in the UK has risen above 16,000.
Beyond the UK, the United States and Canada have also become increasingly attractive destinations for Nigerian healthcare professionals.
As of 2020, a total of 3,895 Nigerian-trained doctors were licensed to practise medicine in the US.
Australia has also intensified recruitment of overseas-trained doctors and nurses to address shortages in regional and rural health services, while Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates continue to attract Nigerian healthcare professionals with tax-free salaries, subsidised accommodation and other employment benefits.
The Enugu State Government, through the Ministry of Health, has sealed four private health facilities in Enugu North Local Government Area for operating without valid licences and failing to meet regulatory requirements.
The ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Chidiogo Ugodu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday in Enugu, noting that the enforcement action was carried out on July 8.
According to the statement, the ministry has intensified the monitoring and supervision of private health facilities across the state to ensure quality healthcare delivery and strict compliance with regulatory standards.
The renewed enforcement exercise was initiated by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu.
As part of the exercise, the Director of Medical Services, Dr. Chinyere Ezeudu, led a team of senior ministry officials on an unscheduled inspection of private health facilities in Enugu North LGA.
The ministry explained that the exercise was aimed at ensuring that all private hospitals and healthcare providers operating in the state comply with statutory requirements, including the renewal of operating licences and the registration of facilities yet to be captured by regulatory authorities.
During the inspection, the team visited seven private health facilities, assessing their operational status, licensing documentation, and compliance with established healthcare standards. Four of the facilities were subsequently sealed for regulatory violations.
Speaking on the exercise, Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, reaffirmed the commitment of the state government, under the leadership of Governor Peter Mbah, to protecting residents by ensuring the delivery of safe, effective, and quality healthcare services.
He stressed that the monitoring and enforcement exercise would continue across the state to ensure that only duly registered and licensed healthcare facilities operate.
Ugwu also urged operators of private health facilities to regularise their operations by renewing expired licences and registering facilities that are yet to be approved.
“The ongoing monitoring exercise is not only a regulatory measure but also a critical step towards strengthening the health system and safeguarding the lives of citizens,” he said.
The latest enforcement follows a similar operation carried out a few weeks ago, during which the Ministry of Health sealed three illegal health facilities in Enugu South Local Government Area for operating without valid licences.
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