Role of Shigella, Enteroinvasive escherichia coli (EIEC) and Entamoeba histolytica in causing dysentry in children and antibiotic sensitivity testing

Background and Dysentry is one of the acute intestinal diseases with different etiological agents. Due to emergence of drug resistant strains, treatment of this disease is difficult. This study is conducted in order to determine the relative frequency of dysentry causing agents in children living in Zahedan city of Ïran and to evaluate the drug sensitivity pattern of dysentry causing agents. Ïn this study, which was started from the beginning of 1998 till the mid 1999, 155 stool samples were collected from children of 6 months to one year of age, referring to Hazrat Âli asghar hospital due to dysentry, and the collected samples were investigated for bacteriology, serology and parasitology. Shigella, ËÏËÇ and Ë. histolytica were isolated in 43 (98%), 20 (13%) and 2 cases respectively. Ôut of 43 shigella cases, in 35 (81%) and 8(19%) cases, S. flexneri and S. dysenteriae (Serotype 1) were isolated respectively. Nalidixic acid was the most effective tested antibiotics and only in one case of shigella, resistant to nalidixic acid was observed. Çonclusion: Since significant resistant to antibiotics such as, amoxycillin, cotrimoxazole, furazolidone, ciprofloxacin and cephalexin was observed, it is recommended to avoid their empirical administration and also due to less prevalence of Ë. histolytica empirical use of amebecidal drugs is advised in case of laboratory identification.