This summer, I participated in a human challenge trial at the University of Maryland. I spent the days just prior to my 30th birthday sick with shigellosis.

What? Why?

Dysentery is an acute disease in which pathogens attack the intestine. It is most often caused by the bacteria Shigella. It spreads via the fecal-oral route. It requires an astonishingly low number of pathogens to make a person sick – so it spreads quickly, especially in bad hygienic conditions or anywhere water can get tainted with feces.

It kills about 70,000 people a year, 30,000 of whom are children under the age of 5. Almost all of these cases and deaths are among very poor people.

The primary mechanism by which dysentery kills people is dehydration. The person loses fluids to diarrhea and for whatever reason (lack of knowledge, energy, water, etc) cannot regain them sufficiently. Shigella bacteria are increasingly [...]

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Outline:

(00:15) What? Why?

(01:18) The deal with human challenge trials

(02:46) Dysentery: it's a modern disease

(04:27) Getting ready

(07:25) Two days until challenge

(10:19) One day before challenge: the age of phage

(11:08) Bacteriophage therapy: sending a cat after mice

(14:14) Do they work?

(16:17) Day 1 of challenge

(17:09) The waiting game

(18:20) Let's learn about Shigella pathogenesis

(23:34) Let's really learn about Shigella pathogenesis

(27:03) Out the other side

(29:24) Aftermath

The original text contained 3 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.

The original text contained 2 images which were described by AI.

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First published:
October 22nd, 2024

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/inHiHHGs6YqtvyeKp/i-got-dysentery-so-you-don-t-have-to

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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