Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Epithelial Cell Infection Analyses with Shigella
04:56

Epithelial Cell Infection Analyses with Shigella

Published on: February 9, 2024

Death from multi-resistant shigelloses: a case study from Fiji

Chris Watson1

  • 1Fiji Scool of Medicine, Private Mail Bag, Suva, Fiji. chris_w@fsm.ac.fj

Pacific Health Dialog
|January 10, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Emerging multi-drug resistance in Shigella poses a challenge for Fiji. Shigella flexneri remains sensitive to specific antibiotics, but treatment options are limited and costly.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Shigellosis is a significant cause of mortality in developing nations, though rare in developed countries.
  • In Fiji, Shigella is a notifiable disease with increasing case numbers reported between 1996 and 1998.
  • Emerging multi-drug resistance (MDR) presents a growing concern for Shigellosis management globally and in Fiji.

Observation:

  • A high prevalence of chloramphenicol resistance (82%) was observed in Shigella cases in Fiji.
  • Shigella flexneri isolates in Fiji demonstrated sensitivity to cephalothin and cefaclor.
  • Intravenous antibiotics (chloramphenicol, ampicillin) were ineffective in a patient due to organism resistance.

Findings:

  • Current Fiji antibiotic guidelines recommend use only for moderate to severe dysentery.
  • Recommended treatments like chloramphenicol and nalidixic acid show high resistance or unavailability.
  • Ceftriaxone and cephalothin are the only effective intravenous options but are expensive and not widely accessible.

Implications:

  • The study highlights the urgent need for updated treatment protocols and antibiotic stewardship in Fiji.
  • Limited access to effective and affordable intravenous antibiotics complicates the management of severe Shigellosis cases.
  • Addressing MDR in Shigella is crucial for preventing severe illness and mortality in Fiji and similar settings.

More Related Videos

A High-throughput Platform for the Screening of Salmonella spp./Shigella spp.06:55

A High-throughput Platform for the Screening of Salmonella spp./Shigella spp.

Published on: November 7, 2018

Use of Shigella flexneri to Study Autophagy-Cytoskeleton Interactions12:52

Use of Shigella flexneri to Study Autophagy-Cytoskeleton Interactions

Published on: September 9, 2014

Related Concept Videos

Cholera01:25

Cholera

Cholera is an acute gastrointestinal disease caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It is transmitted primarily via the fecal-oral route through the ingestion of contaminated water or food.Vibrio cholerae is a motile, Gram-negative bacterium of the family Vibrionaceae, primarily associated with waterborne outbreaks in areas with inadequate sanitation. Although over 200 serogroups of V. cholerae exist, only O1 and O139 are responsible for epidemic cholera. The O1 serogroup,...
Bacterial Gastroenteritis01:18

Bacterial Gastroenteritis

Bacterial gastroenteritis, characterized by diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and vomiting, is often caused by ingestion of contaminated food or water and is frequently associated with pathogenic Escherichia coli strains. These microbes exploit two principal mechanisms to inflict disease.Shiga toxin–producing E. coli, also referred to as STEC—notably O157:H7—release Shiga toxins that target ribosomes, blocking protein synthesis. The B subunit of the toxin binds the host glycolipid receptor...
Reservoir of Infection01:30

Reservoir of Infection

Infectious diseases arise from intricate interactions between pathogens and their reservoirs. A reservoir of infection refers to the natural habitat where a pathogen lives, grows, and multiplies, serving as a continual source of infection. Reservoirs are broadly classified as either living or nonliving, and each plays a unique role in disease transmission, significantly influencing public health interventions and control strategies.Humans act as reservoirs for a wide array of pathogens,...
Investigation of Disease Outbreaks01:23

Investigation of Disease Outbreaks

Multistate foodborne outbreaks pose significant public health risks and require meticulous investigation to identify sources and implement control measures. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) utilizes a dynamic seven-step process for these investigations, integrating data from laboratories, interviews, and environmental assessments to protect public health.Outbreak Detection: The detection of multistate outbreaks typically begins with PulseNet, the CDC's national laboratory...
Fungal Phylum Microsporidia01:28

Fungal Phylum Microsporidia

Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular fungi that were initially classified as protists but were later reclassified based on phylogenetic, molecular, and structural evidence linking them to the Chytridiomycota. These unicellular, non-motile organisms are highly specialized parasites that infect a wide range of animal hosts, including humans. They have evolved extensive genomic and metabolic reductions, making them highly dependent on their hosts for survival.Morphology and Genomic...
Amebiasis01:28

Amebiasis

Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...