Dysentery was the bane of people travelling the Oregon Trail as they made their way across the US to colonize new pastures, and now it's making a comeback.
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When it comes to ways to die, dysentery has to be up there with one of the worst. The gastrointestinal disease results in bloody diarrhea and can be fatal. It causes sufferers to poop themselves to death.
Thankfully, due to an understanding of how it was caused, we have been able to reduce the numbers suffering from the awful disease. It turned out that dirty water was the main culprit, and modern sanitation reduced the chances of catching it.
But dysentery is back and appearing in the place that made it so famous. The Oregon Trail game, played by kids all across the US, loved to kill the player with dysentery. Now, Oregon is suffering from widespread outbreaks of the poopy sickness due to large numbers of homeless and drug use.
Oregon Dysentery Outbreak Has Glaring Similarities To Original Sickness
Akin to the original Oregon Trail, the dysentery outbreak is on account of homeless people. But, unlike the game, the homeless people spreading it aren't looking to reach Oregon; they're already there. The travelers on the trail were migrating to the promised land of plenty. Sadly, the people suffering from dysentery today have already made it and have been met with nothing.
According to Multnomah County health officials, there have been around 40 outbreaks of the nasty gut disease. They are keeping a close eye on the infection, ensuring it doesn't spread. Around 56% of cases have been among the homeless in Oregon.
Dysentery spreads through exposure to infected feces, contaminated food or water, or sexual contact. Usually, it is human-to-human contact that causes new infections, so if you or someone you know thinks they may have it, isolate and contact a doctor. Nobody wants to poop themselves to death.
Homelessness has been on the rise in the US since about 2017, with an 18% increase in 2024. The unavailability of housing and sanitation for so many people increases outbreaks of previously controlled diseases. This has aided the rise in dysentery cases in places like Oregon.
