ENTERIC PLESIOMONAS-SHIGELLOIDES INFECTIONS IN FINNISH PATIENTS

Plesiomonas shigelloides was isolated from 20/13,027 stool samples sub mitted for culture to the Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, U niversity of Helsinki, in 1990. All except 2/20 Plesiomonas-positive p atients had diarrhea; 13 patients had acute onset of illness after for eign travel and 5 patients had chronic diarrhea with symptoms lasting greater than or equal to 2 months. Travel destinations were outside Eu rope in most cases. In 12 cases Plesiomonas was isolated in pure cultu re and in 8 cases together with other exteropathogens. All isolates we re susceptible to ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, trimethoprim and sulfame thoxazole, gentamicin, cephalexin, cefuroxime, ceftriaxone and cefixim e.