Emergence of ceftriaxone resistant Shigella

Shigellosis is endemic in many resource-poor countries due to feco-oral transmission, resulting in considerable morbidity and mortality. There is rapid emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) Shigella spp. resulting in poor reliability of first line antibiotics like quinolones, co-trimoxazole and ampicillin. Ceftriaxone has been used as a reserved antibiotic for treatment of MDR Shigella spp. The authors report a case of ceftriaxone resistant Shigella flexneri successfully managed with meropenem. As occurrence of ceftriaxone resistant Shigella is still rare, the objective of reporting this case is to highlight the possible failure of ceftriaxone in treating shigellosis which if not detected timely can result in mortality.