Dysentery Outbreak in Oregon Leaves at Least 40 Sickened — and Likely Many More, Experts Say

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.

The bacterial illness’s connection to Oregon became memeified, thanks to its presence in the ‘80s video game Oregon Trail — where unsuspecting players were often notified they “died of dysentery,” as the illness can cause dehydration. But beyond the punchline is a serious illness that’s extremely contagious: Symptoms of dysentery —or shigellosis — include frequent, possibly bloody diarrhea, fever, and stomach pain, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control says, adding that it “spreads easily.”

Much like norovirus, “Shigella germs are in poop, so anything that gets contaminated by poop can potentially spread the germs,” the CDC says. 

As OL reports, a lack of public restrooms may be fueling the spread of dysentery, reporting that there are only 116 public restrooms, several of which are locked at night or in the wintertime due to risk of the pipes freezing. There are more than 11,000 people experiencing homelessness in the area, a Multnomah County report from June 2024 says.

Dysentery is generally treated with antibiotics, but OL reports that the strains circulating in Multnomah County are resistant to treatment.

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