Shigella carriers among non-diarrhoeal children in a rural area in Egypt

ABSTRACT

Two hundred and thirty-nine non-diarrheal children living in a rural area were recruited in this study. The results have shown that Shigella carrier rate was 5.02% with S. flexneri, the most frequently isolated species [41.7%]. 75% of the isolated Shigella species were multiply antibiotic resistant. Most isolates were resistant to the traditionally used antibiotics [ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin and tetracycline]. Emergence of gentamicin resistance was also observed. 25% of shigella isolates were resistant to nitrofurantoin, while 66.6% were resistant to trimethoprim- sulfamethoxazole. All isolates were sensitive to quinolones and third-generation cephalosporins