Antibiotic resistance of Shigella in Monrovia

Twenty Shigella strains were isolated from bloody stools, of which 10 had been collected from children. Eighty per cent of the Shigella isolates were serogrouped as S. flexneri. All 20 Shigella strains were susceptible to gentamicin, nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin. More than 80% were resistant to ampicillin, cotrimoxazole and tetracycline and 65% were resistant to chloramphenicol. Ten of 20 Shigella isolates showed a quadruple resistance to all four antibiotics. The usefulness of nalidixic acid for the treatment of multiresistant Shigella infections is discussed.