A common form of mild dysentery in the UK, caused by Shigella sonnei [Described 1915. After Carl Olaf Sonne (1882-1948), Danish bacteriologist and physician.]
A type of enteritis caused by the Sonne strain of the bacterium Shigella dysenteriae. This illness is characterized by a sudden onset of abdominal pain followed by urgent diarrhea, fatigue, vomiting, headache, muscle aches, and a high fever. Initially, the stools are watery and contain mucus, but later they may contain blood and mucus. The disease spreads through water contamination by feces, food contamination by flies that have come into contact with infected feces, or by food handlers who carry the disease. Uncooked vegetables and salads grown in soil fertilized with human waste can also be a common source of infection. It is also referred to as bacillary dysentery.