In addition, chronic arthritis secondary to S. flexneri infection, called reactive arthritis, may be caused by a bacterial antigen; the occurrence of this syndrome is strongly linked to HLA-B27 genotype, but the immunologic basis of this reaction is not understood. Diagnosis
Specimen: Fresh stool is collected. Culture: Specimen is inoculated on selective media like MacConkeys agar, DCA, XLD agar. Selenite F broth(0.4%) is used as enrichment medium which permits the rapid growth of enteric pathogens while inhibiting the growth of normal flora like E. coli for 6–8 hours. Subculture is done on the solid media from selenite F broth. All the solid media are incubated at 37 degrees for 24 hours. Cultural characteristics: Colorless (NLF) colonies appear on MacConkeys agar which are further confirmed by gram staining, hanging drop preparation and biochemical reactions. Treatment
Dysentery is initially managed by maintaining fluid intake using oral rehydration therapy. If this treatment cannot be adequately maintained due to vomiting or the profuseness of diarrhea, hospital admission may be required for intravenous fluid replacement. Ideally, no antimicrobial therapy should be administered until microbiological microscopy and culture studies have established the specific infection involved. When laboratory services are not available, it may be necessary to administer a combination of drugs, including an amoebicidal drug to kill the parasite and an antibiotic to treat any associated bacterial infection. Anyone with bloody diarrhea needs immediate medical help. Treatment often starts with an oral rehydrating solution—water mixed with salt and carbohydrates—to prevent dehydration.
The primary prevention methods are improved sanitation and personal and food hygiene, but a low-cost and efficacious vaccine would complement these methods.Since shigellosis is spread very quickly among children, keeping infected children out of daycare for 24 hours after their symptoms have disappeared, will decrease the occurrence of shigellosis in daycares. Vaccine
Currently, no licensed vaccine targeting Shigella exists. Several vaccine candidates for Shigella are in various stages of development including live attenuated, conjugate, ribosomal, and proteosome vaccines. Shigella has been a longstanding World Health Organization target for vaccine development, and sharp declines in age-specific diarrhea/dysentery attack rates for this pathogen indicate that natural immunity does develop following exposure; thus, vaccination to prevent the disease should be feasible. Shigellosis is resistant to many antibiotics used to treat the disease, so vaccination is an important part of the strategy to reduce morbidity and mortality. Treatment
Treatment consists mainly of replacing fluids and salts lost because of diarrhea. Replacement by mouth is satisfactory for most people, but some may need to receive fluids intravenously. Antidiarrheal drugs (such as diphenoxylate or loperamide) may prolong the infection and should not be used. Antibiotics
Antibiotics should only be used in severe cases or for certain populations with mild symptoms (elderly, immunocompromised, food service industry workers, child care workers). For Shigella-associated diarrhea, antibiotics shorten the length of infection, but they are usually avoided in mild cases because many Shigella strains are becoming resistant to common antibiotics.