NOSOCOMIAL TRANSMISSION OF SHIGELLA-DYSENTERIAE TYPE-1

An outbreak of dysentery due to Shigella dysenteriae type 1 occurred i n a chronic care psychiatric institution in Durban, South Africa. Of t he 10 patients who developed dysentery, 4 (40%) died. S. dysenteriae t ype 1 was isolated from stool samples from two of the four patients te sted and ribotyping showed that these isolates were identical but diff ered from other community acquired strains. The isolates were resistan t to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline and co-trimoxazole. Inf ection control measures including isolation, cohort nursing and strict hand disinfection resulted in rapid control of the outbreak.