title: Molecular characterization of Shigella spp. from patients in Gabon 2011-2013.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Shigella spp. dysentery is widespread in developing countries; the incidence is particularly high in children between 1-2 years of age. In sub-Saharan Africa, there is a paucity of epidemiological data on Shigella spp., with possible negative consequences for recognition and correct treatment choice for this life-threatening bacterial infection. We therefore characterized Shigella spp. isolates from Gabon.
  
  
  METHODS
  The antimicrobial resistance, virulence factors, genotypes and mobile genetic elements of Shigella isolates (29 S. flexneri; 5 S. boydii; 3 S. sonnei) from a retrospective strain collection were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High resistance rates were found for gentamicin and tetracycline (100%, 37/37), cotrimoxazole (92%, 34/37) and ampicillin (84%, 31/37). All isolate harbored ial and ipaH; no isolate produced Shiga toxins (stx1/2); enterotoxins (set1A/B) were only found in S. flexneri (n=19). Multilocus sequence types (MLST) clustered with global clones. A high prevalence of atypical class 1 integrons harboring blaOXA30 and aadA1 were detected in S. flexneri, while all S. sonnei carried class 2 integrons.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a strong link of Gabonese Shigella spp. isolates with pandemic lineages as they cluster with major global clones and frequently carry atypical class 1 integrons which are frequently reported in Shigella spp. from Asia.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), PB 118 Lambaréné, Gabon frieder.schaumburg@ukmuenster.de.
authors.forename: Frieder
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schaumburg
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), PB 118 Lambaréné, Gabon Institut für Tropenmedizin, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, 72074 Tübingen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: Abraham S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Alabi
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), PB 118 Lambaréné, Gabon Institut für Tropenmedizin, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, 72074 Tübingen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: Harry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaba
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), PB 118 Lambaréné, Gabon Institut für Tropenmedizin, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, 72074 Tübingen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: Bertrand
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lell
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), PB 118 Lambaréné, Gabon Institut für Tropenmedizin, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, 72074 Tübingen, Deutschland Center of Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Division of Internal Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Martin P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Grobusch
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné (CERMEL), PB 118 Lambaréné, Gabon Institut für Tropenmedizin, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Deutsches Zentrum für Infektionsforschung, 72074 Tübingen, Deutschland.
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Kremsner
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hygiene, University Hospital Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mellmann
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D004405:Dysentery, Bacillary / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005681:Gabon / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D032023:Integrons; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012760:Shigella / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012762:Shigella dysenteriae / Q000235:genetics; D012763:Shigella flexneri / Q000235:genetics; D012764:Shigella sonnei / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial
keywords: Africa; Drug resistance; Gabon; Genotype; Shigella; Virulence