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Updated: Mar 7, 2026
Author Spotlight: Advancements in Understanding and Combatting Shigella Infections
Published on: February 9, 2024
Virulotyping of Shigella spp. isolated from pediatric patients in Tehran, Iran
Reza Ranjbar1, Masomeh Bolandian1, Payam Behzadi2
11 Molecular Biology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran.
Insights
This study identified virulence genes in Shigella strains from children in Iran. The invasion-associated locus (ial) gene was most common, highlighting its importance in shigellosis.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Shigellosis remains a significant global health concern, particularly for children.
- Understanding Shigella virulence factors is crucial for disease control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of key virulence genes (ial, ipaH, set1A, set1B) in Shigella strains.
- To characterize virulence gene profiles in Shigella isolates from Iranian children.
Main Methods:
- Microbiological and serological identification of Shigella spp. from stool samples.
- Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for virulotyping and detection of virulence genes.
Main Results:
- Shigella sonnei was the predominant species (65.5%), followed by Shigella flexneri (25.9%).
- The invasion-associated locus (ial) gene was the most prevalent virulence gene, followed by ipaH, set1B, and set1A.
- Shigella flexneri strains exhibited a high prevalence of all tested virulence genes.
Conclusions:
- The study identified distinct virulence gene profiles in Shigella strains, with ial and ipaH being the most common.
- Findings emphasize the etiological role of specific virulence genes in shigellosis.
Abstract:
Shigellosis is a considerable infectious disease with high morbidity and mortality among children worldwide. In this survey the prevalence of four important virulence genes including ial, ipaH, set1A, and set1B were investigated among Shigella strains and the related gene profiles identified in the present investigation, stool specimens were collected from children who were referred to two hospitals in Tehran, Iran. The samples were collected during 3 years (2008-2010) from children who were suspected to shigellosis. Shigella spp. were identified throughout microbiological and serological tests and then subjected to PCR for virulotyping. Shigella sonnei was ranking first (65.5%) followed by Shigella flexneri (25.9%), Shigella boydii (6.9%), and Shigella dysenteriae (1.7%). The ial gene was the most frequent virulence gene among isolated bacterial strains and was followed by ipaH, set1B, and set1A. S. flexneri possessed all of the studied virulence genes (ial 65.51%, ipaH 58.62%, set1A 12.07%, and set1B 22.41%). Moreover, the pattern of virulence gene profiles including ial, ial-ipaH, ial-ipaH-set1B, and ial-ipaH-set1B-set1A was identified for isolated Shigella spp. strains. The pattern of virulence genes is changed in isolated strains of Shigella in this study. So, the ial gene is placed first and the ipaH in second.
