Isolation and Identification of Diarrhea Causing Shigella species Using Various Biochemical and Molecular Methods

The global morbidity & mortality due to Shigella species is one of the major public health problems that accounts for thousands of deaths among the children’s below 5 years of age in many developing countries including Bangladesh. The present study was designed to isolate and characterize Shigella like organisms (Non-lactose fermenting colonies) by allowing biochemical characteristics, serology and PCR, from the stools of clinically Shigellosis patients. A total of 20 stool samples were collected from International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR, B). All of these cultures were further analyzed by using different molecular tools. Cultures were screened for ipaH gene which is specific for all Shigella species. Out of the 20 enriched stool samples, 3 samples were positive for ipaH gene. After performing serological analysis, 2 samples were confirmed as Shigella flexneri and one as Shigella sonnei, In addition, PCR was done for 3 serologically confirmed samples.