Dysentery

Diarrhoea with blood, from contaminated food or water.

Is dysentery worse than usual anywhere?

At or below its usual in every country that reports it.

What is dysentery?

Diarrhoea with blood in the poo. It is caused by germs in the gut, often a bacterium called Shigella.

Signs
Frequent loose or watery poo with blood, often with fever and stomach pain.
How it spreads
Through food or water dirtied by poo, and from person to person through unwashed hands.
How to protect yourself
Wash hands with soap, especially after the toilet and before handling food. Drink safe water, use proper toilets, keep food clean, and breastfeed babies.
Get medical help
See a health worker for any blood in poo. Get urgent help for drying out: very sleepy, sunken eyes, can't drink, or skin that springs back slowly. Give oral rehydration solution meanwhile.

In Dooram's words, from the World Health Organization. Source: WHO fact sheet: Diarrhoeal disease, read 8 October 2026. General information, not medical advice.

When does dysentery usually peak?

  • Sri LankaTwice a year: most often around October and November (10 of 18 years), and around May and June (6).

What "usual" means.

Sources. Epidemiology Unit, Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, weekly report.