Shatat, H., Omar, A. (2000). Shigella Carriers among Non-Diarrhoeal Children in a Rural Area in Egypt. Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 30(3), 431-440. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2000.251456
Hanan Z. Shatat; Abeer A. Omar. "Shigella Carriers among Non-Diarrhoeal Children in a Rural Area in Egypt". Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 30, 3, 2000, 431-440. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2000.251456
Shatat, H., Omar, A. (2000). 'Shigella Carriers among Non-Diarrhoeal Children in a Rural Area in Egypt', Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 30(3), pp. 431-440. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2000.251456
Shatat, H., Omar, A. Shigella Carriers among Non-Diarrhoeal Children in a Rural Area in Egypt. Journal of High Institute of Public Health, 2000; 30(3): 431-440. doi: 10.21608/jhiph.2000.251456
Shigella Carriers among Non-Diarrhoeal Children in a Rural Area in Egypt
1Department of Tropical Health, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Egypt
2Department of Microbiology, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Egypt
Abstract
Shigellosis is still endemic in Egypt despite the use of antibiotics and the efforts done in environmental sanitation. Asymptomatic carriers have been incriminated in the maintenance and spread of the disease in the community. 239 non-diarrhoeal children living in a rural area were recruited in this study. Shigella carrier rate was found to be 5.02% with S.flexneri the most frequently isolated species [41.7%]. 75% of the isolated Shigellae were multiply antibiotic resistant. Most isolates were resistant to the traditionally used antibiotics [ampicillin, cloramphenicol, 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-sulphamethoxazole. All isolates were sensitive to quinolones and third-generation cephalosporins. Thus, we stress here the need for a strategy to identify and treat carriers as one of the measures to contain this distressing disease, beside the need to update our knowledge about Shigellae antibiotic susceptibility pattern.