Shigella is a Gram-negative foodborne pathogen that is closely related to E. coli and Salmonella1. A publication by Scallan et al.2 in 2011 estimated that 1456 human foodborne shigellosis cases, including 10 deaths, occur annually in the US. Three Shigella groups are the major disease-causing species: S. flexneri, which is the most frequently isolated species of Shigella worldwide (accounting for 60% of cases in developing countries); S. sonnei, which causes 77% of cases in developed countries; and S. dysenteriae, which is usually the cause of epidemics of dysentery, particularly in confined populations such as refugee camps3.
Key laboratories studying various aspects of foodborne shigellosis in the US and Canada include:
Ramakrishna Nannapaneni, Mississippi State University, USA
Barakat Mahmoud, Mississippi State University, USA
Keith R. Schneider, University of Florida, USA
Key laboratories studying various aspects of foodborne shigellosis in Europe include:
Catarina Mammina, Italy
S. Ethelberg, Statens Serum Institut (Danish National Institute of Health, SSI), Denmark
Key laboratories studying various aspects of foodborne shigellosis in South and Latin America include:
Key laboratories studying various aspects of foodborne shigellosis in Asia and Australia include:
Additional resources on Shigella spp.:
A number of key sources on Shigella spp. and shigellosis are available. For a comprehensive overview on Shigella, we suggest the book "A Guide to Foodborne Pathogens" or "Foodborne Pathogens: Microbiology and Molecular Biology". For public health advise on how to reduce the risk of shigellosis infections, a number of WWW pages are available from the US CDC, including a factsheet on "Shigellosis" and also a brief overview of "Shigella and Drinking Water from Private Wells". Also, from the WHO a guide on world disease burden of Shigella "WHO: Diarrhoeal Diseases."
References
1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shigella
2Scallan et al. 2011.Emerging Infectious Diseases 17:7-15 PMID:21192848
3http://www.who.int/vaccine_research/diseases/diarrhoeal/en/index6.html
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