There's a literal shitstorm spreading through Broward County, apparently.
The Florida Department of Health in Broward County has sent out a warning about a crazy diarrhea bug that's apparently spreading throughout schools and daycare centers lately.
Officials say that Broward County has been showing an increase in cases where the super terrible poop bug known as Shigellosis is on the rise, according to a news release from the Florida Department of Health.
Shigellosis comes from the Shigella bacteria, which is basically Montezuma's Revenge on steroids, with symptoms lasting from 48 to 72 hours.
And it is contagious.
Shigellosis is basically the Oprah of diarrhea (YOU GET EXPLOSIVE DIARRHEA! YOU GET EXPLOSIVE DIARRHEA! EVERYBODY GETS EXPLOSIVE DIARRHEAAA!!), so officials say the best thing to do -- especially for children -- is to wash your hands constantly like there's no tomorrow.
Shigellosis causes severe diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps.
Even the name is terrifying.
People with a mild case of Shigellosis just need to ride out the storm and don't need antibiotics. But those who get hit hard may need special treatment.
It won't kill you, but you'll feel like you want to die.
For now, health officials are advising parents, schools, and daycare centers to take precautionary action to prevent the spread of the bacteria. Again, the Shigella bacteria can spread through person-to-person contact.
Parents of children, or anyone with symptoms of Shigellosis, should contact their health-care provider for diagnosis and treatment. And we can't stress enough how much handwashing needs to happen.
About 14,000 cases of Shigellosis are reported in the United States. That's a shitload (sorry).
You can read more about Shigellosis over at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
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