Isolation and Identification of Shigella dysenteriae from patients in Najaf Province / Iraq

Abstract

   A total of 120 stool samples were collected from children suffering from watery diarrhea with blood , less than 10 years old of both genders whom admitted to the Alzahraa Obstetrics Hospital in Najaf Province , at the period of January 2017 to December 2017, in order to evaluate the routine laboratory diagnostic procedures in the diagnosis of Shigella dysenteriae . For phenotypic characterization, Shigella dysenteriae has been isolated and identified by using culturing method in addition to biochemical tests. Depending on the rate of Shigella dysenteriae isolation in different age groups, the results revealed that some infections were recorded in children samples below 1 year of age in this study and the highest percent (49%) were at 1-4 years of age and there was no significant difference (p> 0.01) between the rate of isolation and age of children. On the other hand, the highest rate of isolation was in rural area (55%) while in urban area was (45%) and there was a significant difference (p< 0.01) between the rate of isolation and residence of children. This study also showed that the higher rate of Shigella dysenteriae isolation from stool samples were in November (84.6%) followed by (15.4%) in October then the infection disappear in the followed months (April-September) while other isolates distributed in identical percent (15%) for December, January (7%) and February (3%) .