title: Shigella species and serotypes among clinical isolates in Thailand from 2001 to 2005.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the species and the serotypes of the clinical isolates of Shigella obtained from patients in Thailand.
  
  
  METHODS
  The World Health Organization National Salmonella and Shigella Center Thailand, had confirmed the species and performed serotype identification of 1,913 clinical isolates of Shigella collected from the laboratory network of Department of Medical Sciences and the collaborated hospitals across Thailand from 2001 to 2005.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between the year 2001 and 2005, 728, 481, 160, 247, 297 clinical isolates were tested, respectively. There were 5 isolates of S. dysenteriae (group A), 416 isolates of S. flexneri (group B), 4 isolates of S. boydii (group C) and 1,488 isolates of S. sonnei (group D). A total of 21 Shigella serotypes were identified and there were 3 serotypes in group A, 11 serotypes in group B, 4 serotypes in group C, and 3 serotypes in group D. Throughout these five years, the five common serotypes were S. sonnei Phases I and II, 28.6% (548 isolates); S. sonnei Phase I, 24.6% (470 isolates); S. sonnei Phase II, 24.6% (470 isolates); S. flexneri Type 2a, 10.9% (208 isolates), and S. flexneri Type 3a, 6.3% (121 isolates), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At the national scale in Thailand from 2001 to 2005, S. sonnei was the most frequent Shigella spp. isolated from patients in Thailand. In addition, S. dysenteriae and S. boydii were extremely uncommon. These findings are important in future vaccine development.
authors.affiliation: WHO National Salmonella and Shigella Center, National Institute of Health, Department of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand. chaiwat.p@dmsc.mail.go.th
authors.forename: Chaiwat
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pulsrikarn
authors.forename: Aroon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bangtrakulnonth
authors.forename: Srirat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pornruangwong
authors.forename: Thayat
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sriyapai
authors.forename: Pathom
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sawanpanyalert
authors.forename: Nalinee
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aswapokee
authors.forename: Wichai
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Techasathit
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests; D004405:Dysentery, Bacillary / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D012703:Serotyping; D012760:Shigella / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013045:Species Specificity; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology