The invasion plasmid antigens (Ipa) of Shigella spp, are effector molecules necessary for the invasion of colonic epithelial cells. Recently, we have isolated an invasin protein-LPS complex from intact, virulent Shigella (Invaplex). In vitro observations suggest that Invaplex interacts with host-cell membranes, is internalized, and is released into the cytoplasm via a process similar to the act...

By random transposon Tn5 insertions, we previously identified six virulence-associated SalI fragments, B, D, F, G, H, and P, in the 230-kilobase plasmid pMYSH6000 of Shigella flexneri 2a. In this study, we analyzed the sites of 134 independent Tn5 insertions on four contiguous SalI fragments, B, P, H, and D, of pMYSH6000 and identified five virulence-associated regions; four were associated wit...

A total of 1602 routine rectal swab specimens and 341 diarrhoeal specimens were obtained over a period of one and a quarter years from a group of children of semi-urban areas in the town of Vellore, North Arcot District, Tamil Nadu, India. Shigellae were found in 16.1 % of the specimens obtained at the time of diarrhoeal episodes. A 4.9 % incidence of asymptomatic infection with Shigella specie...

A total of 199 strains of shigella (1 Shigella dysenteriae, 15 S. boydii, 47 S. flexneri, and 136 S. sonnei) isolated in Malmö, Sweden, within a 3-year period (1977 through January 1980) were tested with the agar plate dilution method for susceptibility to commonly used and newer antimicrobial agents. Mecillinam, nalidixic acid, and trimethoprim had the best in vitro activity. S. flexneri domin...

Epithelial cell infection by Shigella flexneri 2a was studied in an in vitro model system. Using the Henle 407 human intestinal epithelial cell line as host cells, a standardized experimental protocol which allowed quantitative measurement of infection was developed. Intravellular residence of infecting organisms was confirmed by indirect fluorescent-antibody staining of unfixed and methanol-fi...

The comparative survival of various fecal indicator bacteria and enteric pathogens was studied in a stable well water supply by using membrane chambers. There was more variation in the 29 coliform cultures and they died more rapidly, as a group, than the 20 enterococcus cultures that were examined. The comparative survival of the organisms tested follows: Aeromonas sp. > the shigellae (Shigella...

In 1978 almost 200 000 Burmese refugees entered Bangladesh. Thirteen camps were set up for refugees. Data for the camp at Leda is presented here. There were four medical clinics; including a diarrhoea clinic operated by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh. The four clinics recorded a total of 174 201 visits by the refugees, of which 28% were for watery diarrhoea...

In recent years many Shigellae isolated from human cases of dysentery in Japan have been found to be resistant to more than two of the drugs streptomycin (Sm), chloramphenicol (Cm), tetracycline (Tc), and sulfonamide (Su) (Ochiai, 1959). Indeed, approximately 10% of the Shigellae isolated in Japan in 1959 were found to be resistant to all the drugs listed. The strains resistant to one or two of...