Surveillance of antibiotic susceptibility patterns among Shigella species in stools of diarrheal children

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the present study was to findout the frequency of Shigella spp. in diarrheal patients in 
Pakistan and the susceptibility of isolated Shigella to different antibiotics: ampicillin, nalidixic acid, meropenem, 
tetracycline, amikacin, azactam, ciprofloxacin and chloremphenicol.  
Design of Study: Experimental Study. 
Place and Duration of Study: This Study was conducted at Pediatric Department, Mayo Hospital, Lahore and 
study was approved by Pakistan Pediatric Association.  
Materials and Methods: Stool samples were collected from 50 diarrheal children less than five years of age who 
were admitted in the Paediatric Department Mayo Hospital Lahore, Pakistan. The samples were cultivated on 
standard media for Shigella, and Enterobacteriaceae. Susceptibility of Shigella isolates was tested by disk method. 
Results: The frequency of isolation was 80% for Shigella species and 20% in others. Shigella. dysenteriae (65%) 
was the most frequently isolated species, followed by S. flexneri (23%), S. boydii, (10%) and S. sonnei (5%). All 
Shigella isolates were 100% sensitive to amikacin, azactam and ciprofloxacin, while multiple drug resistance 
patterns were observed by all four isolates to other antibiotics.  
Conclusions: Shigella resistance is increasing against most commonly used antibiotics. Now it is the time not only 
to explore new drugs but also to invoke awareness about the hazards of unhygienic conditions and self medication.