[afro-nets] Open Learning Web site on Enteric pathogens

[Salvatore Rubino <rubino@uniss.it>]

Open Learning Web site on Enteric pathogens
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Dear Friends of the Open Learning Web site on Enteric pathogens

A new lecture is available at
http://www.aclisassari.com/acli-openlearning:

Swapan Kumar Niyogi (India), Shigellosis

Shigellosis is a global human health problem. Four species of
Shigella, i.e. S.dysenteriae, S.flexneri, S.boydii and S.sonnei
are able to cause disease. These species are subdivided into se-
rotypes on the basis O-specific polysaccharide of the LPS. Shig-
ellosis can occur in sporadic, epidemic and pandemic forms. Or-
ganisms as low as 10-100 in number can cause the disease. Trans-
mission usually occurs via contaminated food and water or
through person-to-person contact. The symptoms of shigellosis
include diarrhea and/or dysentery with frequent passage of
mucoid bloody stools, abdominal cramps and tenesmus. It may be
associated with a number of complications of which haemolytic
uraemic syndrome is life threatening. Shigella spp. cause dysen-
tery by invading the colonic mucosa and bacteria multiply within
colonic epithelial cells, cause cell death and spread laterally
to infect and kill adjacent epithelial cells, causing mucosal
ulceration, inflammation and bleeding. Laboratory diagnosis is
made by culturing the stool samples using selective/differential
media. Antimicrobial agents are the mainstay of therapy of all
cases of shigellosis. Due the global emergence of drug resis-
tance, the choice of antimicrobial agents for treating shigello-
sis is limited. Currently no vaccine against shigella infection
exists. Both live and subunit parenteral vaccine candidates are
under development.

Ciao, Salvatore Rubino

Prof. Salvatore Rubino
Dip. di Scienze Biomediche
V.le San Pietro 43/b
07100 Sassari (Italy)
Tel: +39-079-228302
Fax: +39-079-212345
Cell:+39-3383865292
mailto:rubino@uniss.it