Antimicrobial resistance of Shigella isolates causing traveler's diarrhea.
Shigella isolates were identified as a cause of traveler's diarrhea in 67 (10%) of 675 patients and were tested for resistance to seven antimicrobial agents in a comparative study with those causing nontraveler's diarrhea in Spain. Ampicillin and chloramphenicol resistance was more frequent in Shigella flexneri (60 and 46%, respectively) than in Shigella sonnei (32 and 18%, respectively) and in travel-related isolates (P < 0.05 and 0.04, respectively). Of S. sonnei isolates from patients with traveler's diarrhea, 73 and 54% showed tetracycline and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resistance, respectively, compared with only 8% of isolates from patients without a history of travel to developing countries (P < 0.007 and P < 0.0002). Low-level resistance to cephalosporins was found, whereas quinolone-resistant strains were not detected among travel-related Shigella isolates. Thus, quinolones may be an effective alternative therapy for travel-related shigellosis.
Vila
J
J
Department of Microbiology, University of Barcelona, School of Medicine, Spain.
Gascon
J
J
Abdalla
S
S
Gomez
J
J
Marco
F
F
Moreno
A
A
Corachan
M
M
Jimenez de Anta
T
T
D003906:Developing Countries; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D006801:Humans; D012760:Shigella / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013030:Spain; D014195:Travel