Copy.
Enclosure No.3.
12
Report on an epidemic of Dysentery caused by the shiga bacillus.
1. As defined by Manson-Bahr "the term dysentery is merely a designation embracing a symptom complex but not indicating some particular disease of distinct etiology." In other words. "Dysentery" is the passage of blood and mucus from the rectum which symptom may be due to a number of factors causing irritation and inflammation of the large bowel.
are
2.
I.
The principal forms of dysentery caused by parasites
Bacterial
J
causing bacillary Dysentery and due to
the Flexner bacillus, or the Shiga bacillus.
II. Protozoal causing amoebic dysentery and due to the
Entamoeba hystolitica.
III.
3.
Helminthic - caused by several varieties of Bilharzia. Both bacillary and amoebic dysenteries are endemic in Hong Kong. Not being notifiable the total number of cases diagnosed clinically is unknown but from the returns of the Government hospitals and the Bacteriological Institute some indication of the types prevalent can be obtained. From the returns issued by the Institute it will be seen that more than three fourths of the cases diagnosed clinically as dysentery were due neither to dysenteric bacilli nor to amoebae.
4. In 1935 specimens from 702 cases diagnosed clinically as 'dysentery' were sent to the Bacteriological Institute for examination. Of these 152 or 21.65% proved to be bacillary dysentery and 19 or 2.70% amoebic dysentery. 531 or 75.6% were negative for either the dysenteric bacilli or the amoeba. of bacillary cases 77.6% were Flexner type, 16.42% Schmitz type and 5.97% Shiga type.
5. The great majority of cases diagnosed in Hong Kong as dysentery are then not caused by either bacterial or protozoal organisms and therefore are not factors of epidemiological importance.