ABSTRACT
Shigella was isolated as a cause of traveler's diarrhea in fifty- seven out of five hundred and eighty-seven examined samples. They were identified as S. flexneri [49%], S. sonnei [33%], S. boydii [7%] and S. dysenteriae [10%]; whereas, only S. sonnei [66%] and S. flexneri [34%] were found to cause diarrhea in this country. Ampicillin and chloramphenicol resistance was more frequent in S. flexneri than S. sonnei; whereas, trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole resistance was more frequent in S. sonnei of travel-related isolates. Seventy- nine and 55% of S. sonnei isolates from traveler's diarrhea showed tetracycline and trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole resistance, respectively compared with only 8% of isolates from patients without travel history. Low level resistance to cephalosporins was found; whereas quinolones resistant strains were not detected among Shigella isolates and thus, quinolones may be the appropriate antibiotic for the prevention and to initiate therapy of travel-related Shigellosis