Clinical Study of Shigellosis

ABSTRACT

Clinical and Bacteriological studies were carried out on 57 cases of infants and children with shigellosis who were cared from January, 1976 to December, 1980 in our hospital. The results were as follows 1. The age distribution revealed the range between 6 months and 5 years(85% of all) with sex ratio of 30(53%) of male and 27(47%) of female, 1.11. 2. The peak incidence was noted in summer, althought there were occurrence throughout the year, even in winter. 3. On bacteriological studies, Shigellan flexneri was isolated most frequenty(90%) and Shigella sonnei was the next(8.8%). 4. Only 8.3% of Shigella strains were resistant to ampicillin between 1976 and 1977 but resistance increased to 76.7% in 1980. Gentamicin and Kanamycin which are aminoglycosiides were quite effectived but their use was limited becauseof their nephrotoxicity. 5. The average duration from the onset to the clinical improvement including stool character in the 32 ampicillin treated patients was 3.6 days and in the 25 rifampin treated patients was 2.2 days. Rifampin was effective in eradicating the shigella stralins and stool cultures taken at 7th therapeutic day remained negative in all 25 rifampin treated patients but yielded growth of shigella strains in 13 ampicillin treated patients. There was no doubt that rfaimpin was superior to ampicillin for bacillary dysentry. 6. One of these 57 cases was expired and motality rate was 1.8%.