ABSTRACT
The objective of the present study was to find out the frequency of Shigella spp. in diarrheal patients in Pakistan and the susceptibility of isolated Shigella to different antibiotics: ampicillin, nalidixic acid, meropenem, tetracycline, amikacin, azactam, ciprofloxacin and chloremphenicol. Experimental study. This study was conducted at Pediatric Department, Mayo Hospital, Lahore and study was approved by Pakistan Pediatric Association. Stool samples were collected from 50 diarrheal children less than five years of age who were admitted in the Paediatric department Mayo Hospital Lahore, Pakistan. The samples were cultivated on standard media for Shigella, and Enterobacteriaceae. Susceptivility of Shigella isolates was tested by disk method. The frequency of isolation was 80% for Shigella species and 20% in others. Shigella, dysenteriae [65%] was the most frequently isolated species, followed by S. flexneri [23%], S. boydii, [10%] and S. sonnei [5%]. All Shigella isolates were 100% sensitive to amikacin, azactam and ciprofloxacin, while multiple drug resistance patterns were observed by all four isolates to other antibiotics. Shigella resistance is increasing against most commonly used antibiotics. Now it is the time not only to explore new drugs but also to invoke awareness about the hazards of unhygienic conditions and self medication