Prevalence of Shigella and Other Pathogenic Gram-negative Bacteria in the Patients with Diarrhea in Kashan City, Iran During 2015-2017

Background: Diarrhea is an important cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in developing countries. Enteric gram-negative bacteria, especially Shigella, Salmonella, Escherichia, and Campylobacter plays a key role in the occurrence of diarrhea. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and importance of four bacterial genera in the incidence of diarrhea in Shahid Beheshti Hospital in Kashan, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 528 diarrheal stool samples during March 2015-February 2017. The samples were collected for the isolation of the bacterial agents to appropriate selective and differential culture media. Laboratory diagnosis was performed using proper bacteriological and serological tests. Results: Among 528 stool samples, 38.6% of the specimens belonged to women, and 61.4% belonged to men. In total, 233 specimens (44.1%) were positive for the mentioned bacteria. In 98 (18.5%) and 15 cases (2.8%), Shigella spp. and Campylobacter spp. had the highest and lowest frequency, respectively. Conclusion: Shigellosis has been reported to be more prevalent in developing and industrialized countries. Our findings and similar studies in this regard have denoted the epidemiological patterns of shigellosis in some regions in Iran toward the epidemiological pattern of the disease in industrialized countries.