The surge in Portland of the extremely contagious bacterial illness is linked to the number of people experiencing homelessness
Cases of dysentery are surging in Oregon, with 40 people sickened by the disease in the Portland area in January alone.
There were 158 cases of the illness in Multnomah County in 2024, Oregon Live reported, adding that those cases were among people who hadn’t left the country — meaning, it was contracted in the states. And although there were 40 confirmed cases, officials told the outlet they suspect the actual number of cases is much higher among the city’s homeless population.
“Any situation where [you are] unable to wash your hands regularly will put you at risk for [the bacteria which causes dysentery] shigella and I think unsheltered homelessness certainly contributes to people just really not having places to do that,” Dr. Amanda Risser, a senior medical director for the health care and housing services agency Central City Concern, told OL .
Cases of dysentery in Multnomah County have been steadily rising since 2012, KOIN reports, sharing that 2023 is when the illness exploded in the area. Cases more than doubled that year, going from 43 in 2022 to 96 in 2023…