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[Relatedness of Shigella sonnei isolates from six outbreaks in Tao-Yuan area, Taiwan]

C S Lin1, T K Wang, J L Tsai

  • 1Department of Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, ROC.

Journal of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infection = Wei Mian Yu Gan Ran Za Zhi
|January 29, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Molecular analysis revealed that Shigella sonnei outbreaks in Taiwan between 1998 and 1999 likely originated from a 1995 strain. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis confirmed the close relationship between these Shigella sonnei infections.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Epidemiology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Multiple outbreaks of Shigella sonnei infection occurred in Tao-Yuan, Taiwan, between 1995 and 1999.
  • Understanding the genetic relatedness of Shigella sonnei isolates is crucial for controlling recurrent outbreaks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the molecular epidemiology of Shigella sonnei outbreaks in Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
  • To determine the relationship between isolates from different outbreak periods.

Main Methods:

  • Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed on 55 Shigella sonnei isolates.
  • Plasmid profile analysis (PPA) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were employed for molecular typing.

Main Results:

  • Isolates were classified into two and three types by antimicrobial susceptibility testing and PPA, respectively.
  • Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) revealed a single, highly conserved pattern across all isolates, indicating close genetic relatedness.
  • The molecular data strongly suggest a common source for the outbreaks.

Conclusions:

  • The Shigella sonnei isolates from the 1998-1999 outbreaks are likely derived from the 1995 outbreak strain.
  • Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) is a powerful tool for tracing the molecular epidemiology of Shigella sonnei infections.
  • These findings highlight the importance of continuous surveillance and molecular typing to manage recurrent infectious disease outbreaks.

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