Alberta Health Services (AHS) said the Shigella outbreak, which impacted Edmonton Zone residents, concluded as of Thursday. .The first person became ill in August, with a confirmed diagnosis about two weeks later and an outbreak declared in September, according to a Thursday press release. In the last several months, the release said there has been a steep decline in the number of cases reported following the sharing of health guidance and mobilization of hygiene resources. .The release went on to say no new cases were reported in the last two weeks. .Two hundred six people confirmed Shigella diagnoses and 139 of them required hospitalization throughout the outbreak. The outbreak primarily affected members of Edmonton’s inner city population. .No deaths were connected to this outbreak. .Shigella is a disease associated with diarrhea, fever, nausea, and stomach cramps. It can cause serious illness leading to hospitalization and spreads when a person comes into contact with fecal matter from an infected person or by eating food contaminated with the bacteria. .The release said AHS’s response to this outbreak began following the first confirmed case, and the work involved connecting with shelters, inner city agencies, and local family physicians about the growing number of cases. AHS reached out to the City of Edmonton for support in October and struck a task force soon after to coordinate resources and a response. .AHS thanked the City of Edmonton, Alberta Health, Alberta Community and Social Services, Edmonton area shelters, and other partner organizations for their work on the outbreak. Without the ongoing collaboration and sharing of resources and ideas, the response would not have been as fulsome and successful as it was. .While the outbreak is over, the release said it's expected sporadic cases of Shigella will be confirmed in the weeks and months to come. It added heightened surveillance for new cases will continue, and AHS will be able to address questions and concerns. .AHS is reminding people proper hand hygiene prevents the spread of any illnesses, including Shigella. .AHS confirmed an outbreak of whooping cough in the central part of the South Zone on January 26. .READ MORE: AHS declares whooping cough outbreak in southern Alberta.Communities affected include those spanning Lethbridge County, Coaldale, Taber, Vauxhall, Grassy Lake, and Bow Island. These communities have low childhood immunization rates. .Children should have received four doses of the whooping cough vaccine by two years old. In some of these areas, one-third of two-year-old children have.
