Portland health officials report waste-borne illness rampant among city's homeless
Portland, Oregon, is grappling with a cluster of a highly infectious illness that spreads through fecal matter and puts the city’s large homeless population at high risk, according to health officials.
"While we are currently seeing an increase in Shigella cases in the Portland metro area, the risk to the broader public remains low at this time and there are no measures for most folks to take at this time. The best thing we can all do to prevent both respiratory viral illness and diarrheal illness is to keep practicing good hand hygiene," Multnomah County Deputy Health Officer Teresa Everson said in a comment to Fox News Digital.
Portland and surrounding areas closed out 2023 with 227 documented Shigella cases, health officials in Multnomah County told Fox News Digital on Thursday, 45 of which occurred in December alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes Shigella as bacteria found in fecal matter that can infect someone if ingested. The illness can cause people to experience bloody and prolonged diarrhea, fever, stomach pain, and "feeling the need to pass stool (poop) even when the bowels are empty."
Shigella can be spread through sex, drinking contaminated water, changing diapers or caring for someone sick with the illness. The data provided by Multnomah County shows that Shigella cases have increased in recent years, skyrocketing in 2023 by 131% compared to 2021 in counties surrounding Portland.
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"Shigella case counts during 2021 were 98, 2022 was 150, and 227 in 2023 throughout Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas Counties," according to data provided by the county.
Homeless individuals in Portland have accounted for a large portion of those infected, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported last month, with health leaders finding that sex was likely the most common way the bacteria was spreading.
Many of the cases have unfolded in Portland’s Old Town neighborhood, though a spokesperson for the Multnomah County Health Department has said there is "no clear geographic pattern to cases" to indicate the illness is isolated to a single area of the city.
"Shigella spreads when one person’s infected poop gets into another person’s mouth through food or water, from objects or surfaces with shigella bacteria on them, or during sex," Multnomah County said last month in a warning to residents. "Shigella spreads very easily. Even a very small amount is enough to make someone sick."
The Portland Police Bureau’s bike squad has urged people to wash their hands and take extra precautions amid the outbreak.
"Old Town has seen an increase of cases of Shigella, an illness spread through fecal matter that causes fever, stomach cramps and diarrhea which can include blood or pus," the policing squad said on Instagram late last month. "If you live or work in the area please consider washing your hands often and not bringing shoes inside your home or tent."
County health officials have urged the general public to not be alarmed by the recent cluster, unless they are part of a specific demographic most likely affected by the illness.
"We would like people to not feel anxious in general unless they are in one of the specific populations," Everson said in a previous comment to KGW. "We have not seen cases of folks in the general public who have acquired infection that we can't explain. Most of the cases that we are seeing are associated with sexual activity, and some with travel. So we do not have any cases that would point us to a risk to the general public."
The CDC outlines on its website that homeless people, gay and bisexual men, international travelers, parents and sexually active people are most at risk of the illness.
County health officials are taking the lead on the investigation, though a spokesperson for the Oregon Health Authority added in a comment to Fox News Digital that the state agency is supporting "local health authorities like Multnomah County in their investigations" "as it does with any cluster or outbreak of infectious diseases."
Portland has long had a massive homeless population, which has led to some business owners speaking out about crime and blatant drug use in the city as some families flee the city as homeless encampments moved near their homes.
A study published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development last month examining homelessness in the U.S. in 2023 found Oregon had the second-highest percentage of unsheltered homeless people, which is defined as people who typically sleep on the streets or in parks as opposed to shelters. The study found that Oregon has an estimated 20,142 homeless people, 13,004 of whom are classified as unsheltered homeless.
The study, a "point-in-time" count report, records the number of people living on the streets or in shelters on a single night in January 2023. The federal government data is just a snapshot of homelessness, often offering an incomplete view as it’s difficult to locate each homeless person in a city and state.
"These cases can occur because bathrooms, handwashing sinks and soap can be hard to access when you aren't housed," Everson previously told KGW of the Shigella cluster. "And unhoused community members are at higher risk of infectious diseases in general, as they experience poorer health than the broader public."
Health officials said Multnomah County is providing temporary housing at hotels and motels for homeless people infected by the illness "so they have the most support to recover and decrease the chance of spreading their infection." Those with the illness have the option to decline the temporary housing; the county said no one is required to quarantine or isolate themselves.
"We are monitoring the numbers daily, and are actively communicating with the public and those at increased risk about the interventions that can help prevent the spread of Shigella," the county said in a comment provided to Fox News Digital.