RESUMEN
Infections due to Shigella spp. cause substantial morbidity worldwide. The possibility that shigella strains develop resistance to antimicrobial drugs necessitates a continuous program to determine the sensitivity. The study was carried out to determine the pattern of antimicrobial resistance of shigella species among patients with acute diarrhea. Antimicrobial resistance patterns of shigella strains isolated from children with acute diarrhea were studied during 2002-2004 in Children Hospital of Tabriz. Iran. A total of 43 isolalted shigella strains, Shigella flexneri [39 cases] was the most prevalent species, followed by shigella sonnei [4 cases]. The Shigella flexneri isolates were highly resistant to ampicilin [89.6%] and trimetoprim - sulfamethoxzol [89.1%]. Multidrug resistance were in 67.8% cases. Almost all Shigella sonnie exhibited resistance to ampicilin and 75% to trimetoprim-sulfamethoxazol. All isolates were suseptible to third generation cephalosporins and nalidixic acid. Suseptibility to gentamicin, amikacin and chloramphenicole was observed in 89.8%, 82.5% and 69% respectively. These results suggest the shigella flexneri is the important species in this region with high resistance to commonly used antibiotics [Ampicilin, Cotrimoxazol]. Therefore its better to prevent unnecessary usage of antibiotic in children diarrhea to avoid more bacterial resistance