The shigella outbreak in downtown Edmonton has made 31 people sick since it was reopened by Alberta Health Services in March. In total, 237 cases have been recorded by AHS since the first confirmed diagnosis at the end of August 2022. One hundred sixty-two people have been hospitalized. No one has died, AHS says. The agency closed the outbreak in February after two weeks of no new cases but reopened it after confirming five cases. AHS has said the outbreak is mostly affecting Edmonton's "inner-city population." Shigella is a bacteria that can be spread through contact with contaminated fecal matter or food. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, nausea and stomach cramps. AHS says it, alongside its community task force, is investigating and responding to the outbreak.
