The San Francisco Department of Health confirmed that the number of individuals infected with the shigellosis disease in the city has increased, the SF Gate reported.
According to health officials, most of those who have been infected are homeless people. In December alone, there have been 65 reported cases of shigella.
The disease is caused by a bacterium known as Shigella dysenteria. Once infected, an individual will experience nausea, vomiting, fever and diarrhea. Although the disease is not fatal, some people have already died due to extreme dehydration.
Dr. Thomas Aragon of the city's health department explained that the disease can develop due to poor sanitary conditions in an area. San Francisco's homeless are the ones who are most susceptible to the disease due to lack of access to clean drinking water and overcrowded living conditions.
"We are particularly concerned about our homeless residents, who are more vulnerable to disease than people with stable housing," Aragon said in a statement.
"People who are in crowded conditions and without access to running water and sanitation facilities are more susceptible to contracting and spreading shigella," she added.
Dr. Barry Zevin, the Medical Director of the health department's subdivision the San Francisco Homeless Outreach Team, noted that the organization is taking the necessary steps in preventing the spread of the disease, according to Outbreak News Today.
Members of the team have been deployed to the city to assist those who have been infected with shigella.
"We know where people are - on the streets, in encampments, in parks," he said in a statement. "We are able to reach them very quickly with expert medical advice, to assess them and provide information about how to prevent and stop the spread of the disease."
Aside from those living on the streets, children are also vulnerable to contracting the disease since they have the tendency to put their fingers inside their mouths without washing their hands properly, the Empire State Tribune reported.
The Center for Disease Control explained that the development and spread of the disease can be prevented through practicing thorough hygiene methods and frequently washing the hands with soap and clean water.
