Shigellosis in the south-western Cape of Good Hope 1968–85

Abstract

SUMMARYDuring the period 1968–85 shigella organisms were isolated from stool specimens of 1562 patients attending Tygerberg Hospital, situated in the south-western province of the Cape of Good Hope of the Republic of South Africa.Shigella flexneri(72% of patients) was the commonest subgroup identified.Sh. sonneiwas the second-commonest isolate (20%), with smaller number ofSh. boydii(5%) andSh. dysenteriae(3%).Sh. dysenteriaehas not been isolated since 1979. In 1985 30% of isolates were resistant to ampicillin and 52% to trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole. During this period 12 cases of shigellaemia were seen, 11 in young infants less than 13 months of age who were malnourished in 6 cases. The single adult had had a previous gastrectomy and splenectomy.