Shigellosis in Zaria, northern Nigeria

368 strains of Shigella were recovered from stool specimens in the Department of Medical Microbiology, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, during the period January 1980 to December 1984. S. flexneri was found to be the most common (60%) followed by S. boydii (20.7%), S. dysenteriae (14.1%) and S. sonnei (5.2%). Males were more frequently infected (61.4%) than females (38.6%). Maximum cases were seen in the 21-to 40-year age group (48.9%). Almost two-thirds of the cases of shigellosis (64.4%) were recorded during the rainy season. Antimicrobial resistance to four or more drugs was recorded in (38%) of the isolates.