A bacterial infection has Missouri kids falling ill, and health officials say most children pick the bug up in daycare.

    Shigellosis is a bacterial infection that can make kids, and anyone for that matter, very ill.

    While Missouri has seen a huge spike in the number of cases, the Oarks hasn't been affected yet.

    But local health officials and child care providers are working together to make sure the illness doesn't spread to kids here.

    Washing faces, hands and everything they touch is something The staff and kids at Little Rascals Daycare Center do every day.

    Julie Coatney, who manages the infant and toddler center, says keeping kids healthy is a full time job.

    "It goes from washing the hands to sanitizing the toys to sanitizing the tables and floors that our babies crawl on, and it's something you have to keep on top of," says Coatney.

    And now keeping on top of it is helping to keep Shigella from spreading.

    "It can just really be quite a challenge for any day care center to keep an illness like this under control once it gets in," says Kendra Williams, with the Springfield- Greene County Health Department.

    Shigella, the bacteria that causes Shigellosis, is popping up across Missouri.

    St. Louis is the hardest hit, but it's made its way to the south eastern part of the state, and local county health departments are watching closely because the illness can be dangerous to small children.   

    "There can be a risk of seizures because of dehydration and high fever," says Williams.

    Symptoms generally include diarrhea, which is often bloody, stomach cramping, and a fever.

    But in rare cases, it can cause long lasting problems, including arthritis and vision problems.

    But so far the Ozarks have avoided this bug.

    "As long as we follow the guidelines that we have set for us, you know, we don't have a problem," says Coatney.

    The staff at Little Rascals says they've taught their kids all about germs.

    "They get to look underneath the microscope and look at different bacteria," says Coatney.

    She says they also know how to wash them away.

    Coatney says another way she makes sure her day care stays clean is to send sick kids home.

    She says once one child is ill, that little one can spread germs not just to other kids, but to toys, mats, and even other day care workers, who can then pass it on to other children.

    To catch Shigella, you have to ingest it; that's why hand washing is so important.

    So far this year, Greene County has had two reported cases of Shigellosis, but Williams says neither of them had anything to do with daycares.