[Dysentery in Poland in 2000]

The notified number of dysentery cases is still falling down since the year 1995 when bacteriological examination of feces for diagnostic purposes lost free of charge status obtained in 1928 under the legislation act of infectious disease investigation and obligatory registration. Only 121 dysentery cases were notified in the year 2000 (incidence 0.31/100,000 population), while 292 cases were notified in 1999 (incidence 0.76/100,000). No one death case was notified. Only 2 outbreaks (one due to S. flexneri 4a and one due to S. sonnei), both involving 26 patients, were notified in 2000, less than in 1999 when four outbreaks involving 146 patients were registered. In the year 2000, S. sonnei was the dominant etiological agent in 80% of notified dysentery cases and S. flexneri only in 20% of cases was the next. S. dysenteriae 3 was found only in one patient S. boydii in no one. All Shigella strains were susceptible to nitrofurans (ex.nifuroxaside), gentamicin, nalidixic acid, cefotaxime, and imipenem. Only two strains, including the one important from India, were susceptible to co-trimoxasole, but not to doxycycline.