RGD uses the Human Disease Ontology (DO, https://disease-ontology.org/) for disease curation across species. RGD automatically downloads each new release of the ontology on a monthly basis. Some additional terms which are required for RGD's curation purposes but are not currently covered in the official version of DO have been added. As corresponding terms are added to DO, these custom terms are retired and the DO terms substituted in existing annotations and subsequently used for curation.
A primary bacterial infectious disease that results_in infection located_in epithelium of colon, has_material_basis_in Shigella boydii, has_material_basis_in Shigella dysenteriae, has_material_basis_in Shigella flexneri, or has_material_basis_in Shigella sonnei, which produce toxins that can attack the lining of the large intestine, causing swelling, ulcers on the intestinal wall, and bloody diarrhea. The bacteria are transmitted_by ingestion of food and water contaminated with feces. (DO)