Shigellosis of childhood in northern Greece: epidemiological, clinical and laboratory data of hospitalized patients during the period 1971-96.

The aim of this study was to evaluate epidemiological, clinical and laboratory data of shigellosis in children from northern Greece, hospitalized in our department during the period 1971-96. In total, 422 cases of shigellosis, aged 1 month to 14 y (238M, 184F) were hospitalized during the study period. The annual distribution was approximately stable until 1990, the mean number of cases per year being about 20. During the last 4 y the incidence significantly decreased. Shigella was serotyped in 138/422 cases. Seventy six of the strains were S. flexneri (55%) and 56 S. sonnei (40%). In the majority of cases the clinical picture was mild. Severe dehydration was seen in only 6 patients. Ninety four patients (22%) had extra-intestinal manifestations. Most common of these were convulsions (16%) and, less frequently, disturbances of consciousness (n = 26), rash (n = 9), shock and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (n = 2), nerve paralysis (n = 2), severe anaemia (n = 2) and haemolytic-uraemic syndrome (n = 1). Nine patients had acute encephalopathy of 12 h to 12 d duration. It is important to note that all these cases recovered completely with no residual neurological deficit, except for 1 girl who developed temporal epilepsy 8 y later. Spinal fluid was normal in all 42 examined patients. Antibiotics were given to 212 of 422 patients, mainly during the first half of the study period. Shigella resistance to antibiotic was significant for cotrimoxazole (24%) and ampicillin (16%). All patients were cured. Shigellosis is a mild disease in our area, with a decreasing prevalence.