SHIGELLOSIS IN JORDANIAN CHILDREN - A CLINICOEPIDEMIOLOGIC PROSPECTIVE-STUDY AND SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ANTIBIOTICS

During a 2-year prospective study of children hospitalized with gastro enteritis, shigellosis was detected in 66 cases (9 per cent of 726 adm issions). The age group for peak shigella incidence was 1-4 years. The incidence increased from 8 per cent in 1991, to 11 per cent in 1992. Shigella flexneri was the most common isolate (65 per cent), followed by Shigella sonnei (17 per cent), Shigella boydi (11 per cent), and Sh igella dysenteriae (7 per cent). At presentation, 44 per cent had wate ry diarrhoea, followed by dysentery during hospitalization in the majo rity of cases. Seizures occurred in 27 per cent of cases and preceded diarrhoea in 15 per cent. Most Shigella flexneri and dysenteriae strai ns were resistant to co-trimoxazole, ampicillin, tetracyclin, and chlo ramphenicol. Nalidixic acid, gentamicin and cefotaxime were the most e ffective antibacterial agents. Case fatality was 3 per cent associated with strains resistant to the antibiotics used initially in the treat ment.