Characterization of Shigella flexneri in northern Vietnam in 2012-2016

Shigellosis remains a considerable public health concern in developing countries. Shigella flexneri and Shigella sonnei are prevalent worldwide and S. sonnei has been replacing S. flexneri .

S. flexneri still causes outbreaks of shigellosis in northern Vietnam but limited information is available on its genetic characteristics.

This study aimed to characterize the genetic characteristics of S. flexneri strains from northern Vietnam.

This study used 17 isolates from eight incidents, collected in northern Vietnam between 2012 and 2016. The samples were subjected to whole genome sequencing, molecular serotyping, cluster analysis and identification of antimicrobial resistance genes. Additionally, phylogenetic analysis was performed including isolates from previous studies.

Clusters were identified according to spatiotemporal backgrounds. The results suggested that two incidents in Yen Bai province in 2015 and 2016 were derived from a very recent common ancestor. All isolates belonged to phylogroup (PG) 3, which was divided into two sub-lineages. Thirteen of 17 isolates, including those from the Yen Bai incidents, belonged to sub-lineage Sub-1 and were serotyped as 1a. The remaining four isolates belonged to sub-lineage Sub-2 and were the globally predominant serotype 2a. The Sub-1 S. flexneri isolates possessed the gtrI gene, which encodes the glycosyl transferase that determines serotype 1a, with bacteriophage elements in the vicinity.

This study revealed two PG3 sub-lineages of S. flexneri in northern Vietnam, of which Sub-1 might be specific to the region.