Shigella-induced encephalopathy in an adult

A 71-year-old woman presented with altered level of consciousness following episodes of diarrhea and abdominal pain. Shigella sonnei was later cultured from her stool. Although neurological complications, primarily seizures, have been reported sequelae in children afflicted shigellosis, there are only rare cases of encephalopathy in affected adults. A brief discussion of the neurological complications of Shigella infection and the yet undetermined role of Shiga toxin in producing neurotoxicity are presented.