shigella

American  

[shi-gel-uh] / ʃɪˈgɛl ə /

noun

Bacteriology.

shigellae, plural shigellas plural

1. any of several rod-shaped aerobic bacteria of the genus Shigella, certain species of which are pathogenic for humans and other warm-blooded animals.

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shigella British  

/ ʃɪˈɡɛlə /

noun

1. any rod-shaped Gram-negative bacterium of the genus Shigella ; some species cause dysentery

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• shigellae
  plural
• shigellas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of shigella

< New Latin (1918), after Kiyoshi Shiga (1870–1957), Japanese scientist; see -ella

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shigella

Karen's daughter, Liz, said she believed her mother contracted shigella while on holiday, a bacterial infection that can affect the gut.

From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2026

Since October 2020, 316 shigella cases have been reported in King County’s homeless population, Public Health – Seattle & King County said.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 8, 2023

Making available relatively clean and safe facilities promotes bladder and bowel health and prevents the spread of infectious diseases such as hepatitis A, shigella and influenza.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2023

In most cases, rest and fluids do the trick, but antibiotic-resistant shigella strains are also out there, making some cases require heavy-duty treatment.

From Scientific American ● Jul. 21, 2017

The W.H.O.’s third category was “medium priority,” which included drug-resistant versions of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and shigella, all three of which cause common childhood infections.

From New York Times ● Feb. 27, 2017