A Clinical Observation on Childhood Shigellosis Occurred in Mass Outbreak

Lee, Soo Jin; Yu, Young; Kim, Sin Na

Abstract

PURPOSE: The incidence of shigellosis had been decreased due to the use of antibiotics and the improvement of environmental sanitation but recently increases again. Shigellosis occurrs in mass outbreak through unsanitized meal preperation refered from welfare facility and school. We observed epidemic aspect and clinical coarse of childhood shigellosis.
METHODS
from December 2001 to January 2002, 22 inpatients with shigellosis in Dongbu Municipal Hospital were observed epidemiologically, clinically and microbiologically.
RESULTS
1. The sexual ratio was 1:1 and mean age was 5.5+/-1.4 years (14 months to 11 years). 2. The clinical manifestations were following: diarrhea (95.5%), high feve (10%) and asymptomatic (4.5%). The mean duration was 3.9+/-2.1 days (1 to 12 days). All patients had no complication and normal serologic test. 3. S. sonnei was cultured in rectal swab, and was resistant to TMP/SMX and ampicillin, but susceptible to ampicillin/sulbactam and the 3rd generation cephalosporins. 4. The patients were treated by antibiotics with conservative treatment including electrolytes and fluid therapy for 5 days, resulting in improvement confirmed by negative reaction on stool culture. 5. These cases were all occurred in mass outbreak in day care center and were suspected to be secondary infection by members of family.
CONCLUSION
This shigellosis occurred in day care center was secondary infection due to S. sonnei and had mild clinical coarse and improvement after antibiotic treatment.