Bacillary dysentery, also known as shigellosis, is an acute infectious disease of the intestine caused by dysentery bacilli. The bacilli attach and penetrate the intestinal mucosa, multiplying and releasing endotoxins that cause inflammation, necrosis, and ulceration of the sigmoid colon and rectum. Symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, and tenesmus. There are both acute and chronic forms. Treatment involves antibiotics, rehydration, and controlling symptoms. Prevention focuses on controlling infectious sources, interrupting fecal-oral transmission routes, and vaccinating susceptible populations.