Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
shigella

shigella

1 9.3
A type of bacteria that causes diarrhea and stomach infections from dirty food or water
  • noun
  • /ʃɪˈɡɛlə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : shigella
  • Bloody diarrhea (dysentery) occurs more commonly with some pathogens (salmonella, shigella, and campylobacter species).

Examples

  • They are also battling many bacterial diseases rarely seen in developed countries, such as foodborne and waterborne Shigella dysenteriae, which is now resistant to most available drugs.

    Academic text (2000)

  • People knew at that point that salmonella, shigella and cholera were not the causes of those deaths in young children.

  • That's because I spiked your tea with a nasty little parasitic genus called shigella.

    The Gentlemen (2020)

  • If not treated promptly, shigella can lead to severe intestinal disease.

  • The doctor confirmed that the outbreak was caused by shigella bacteria.

  • She learned that shigella is one of the most common causes of bacterial diarrhea.

Synonyms

genus Shigella
vsshigella
  • Specialized
8.8

A group of bacteria that cause serious belly infections in people

has a broader host range infecting other warm-blooded animals

Compounds

genus Shigella
  • Specialized
8.8

A group of bacteria that cause serious belly infections in people

Shigella dysenteriae
  • Specialized
9.4

A germ that causes severe diarrhoea and stomach pain in people

Surface Forms

shigella singular
shigellae plural

Morphology

shigella = Shiga (opaque) = shiga + ella

Formed from the proper name 'Shiga' plus the Latin diminutive/taxonomic suffix '-ella'; this etymology does not help learners infer the biological meaning.

Etymology

The word shigella is named after the Japanese doctor Shiga, who first discovered the bacterium. The ending -ella is a small ending often used in scientific names, so the name means 'little Shiga' and that is why it is the name of this tiny germ.