Antimicrobial Resistance Pattern of Shigella species Over Five Years at a Tertiary-care Teaching Hospital in North India

Shigellosis is a global human health problem, especially in developing countries where there are inadequate hygiene and unsafe water supplies (1,2). Shigella accounts for a significant proportion of cases of bacillary dysentery in many tropical and subtropical countries (3,4). Shigella is one of the most important causes of gastroenteritis-induced deaths in 3-5 million children aged less than five years in developing countries (5). The emergence of multiple drug resistance to cost-effective antimicrobials against Shigella is a matter of concern in developing countries (6). It is also well-documented that pandemic strains often exhibit multiple antimicrobial resistance and induce severe illness with high case fatality in all age-groups (7). In the tropics, most infections occur due to S. flexneri and infections that occur primarily due to Shigella sonnei are less common (8,9).