Dysentery.(Life Extension) From: Manila Bulletin | Date: October 24, 2007 | COPYRIGHT 2007 Manila Bulletin Publishing Corp. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Byline: DR. GARY S. SY

DYSENTERY is the body's response to an unwanted visitor in the digestive system. The possible culprits include a parasitic amoeba called Entamoeba histolytica or a number of bacteria, including salmonella and shigella. An infection of E. histolytica is called amebiasis, and any resulting bloody diarrhea is called amebic dysentery. Infections of shigella bacteria, called shigellosis, can lead to bacillary dysentery.

While cases of amebic...