Clinical and Bacteriological Studies of Shigellosis

ABSTRACT

Clinical and bacteriological studies were carried out on 74 cases of infants and children with Shigellosis who were cared from May 1972 to Sept. 1977 in our hospital. 1) The age distribution revealed the range between 6 months and 5 ysers (85% of all) with the sex ratio of 42(57%) of male and 32(43%) of female, 131,0. 2) The peak incidence was noted in summer, although there were occurrence throughout the year, even in winter. 3) On bacteriological studies, Shigella flexneri was isolated most frequently (73%) and shigella sonnei was the next(32%). Since 1977, however, the rate of isolation was reversed as the former 32% and the latter 62%. 4) Up to 1976, ampicillin was the most effective (in 93%) and carbenicillin the next (in 87%) on sensitivity test. But gentamicin became hightly sensitive in 88%, kanamycin in 81% and ampicillin in 13% since 1977. 70% to 95% of isolated Shigellae were resistant to Terramycin, Chloromycetin, streptomycin and Colimycin. 5) The average duration from the onset to the clinical improvement including stool character was that of 3.4 days. 6) The mortality rate was 2.7% (2 of 74 patients) and they all were under 2 years of age.