SHIGELLA SPP

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this lecture, student should be

able to:
1. Identify the Shigella spp. according to
pathogenesis, , clinical significant, group, and
antigenic structure.
2. Identify the laboratory features of the Shigella
spp.
3. Identify the appropriate treatment and
antibiotic can be used to kill the Shigella spp
 Introduction…
 Causative pathogen in bacterial dysentery.
 Foodborne pathogenic microorganisms that
are particular concerns to human.
 Three primary species can be classified in
serovars based on the fine structure of their O
antigen.
Genus Shigella spp has four types of species;

flexeneri sonnei

boydii dysenteriae
PATHOGENESIS…
 Infect man and other primates.
 Infecting dose is small (about 10-100 organisms).
 Causes “bacillary dysentery” or “shigellosis”.
 Relatively unaffected by gastric acid or bile.
 Following ingestion, usually unable to penetrate the
intestine into deeper body tissues or blood.
 Primary step in the disease process is the invasion into
the cells of the colonic epithelium by the pathogen.
 Produce shigatoxin,protoype of family shigalike toxin.
Cont…

 To reach the epithelium cells,the organisms traverse both the

mucous and glycocalyx layers,which coat the epithelium.
 The bacterium engulfed by an invagination of the cell
membrane when coming in contact with the colonic intestinal
epithelium.
 Toxin inhibits protein synthesis in eukaryotic cells by splitting
the 23S rRNA at certain locus.
 Shigatoxin contributes to the colonic epithelial damage.
 small intestine diarrhea with watery stools
 Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
 Reiter's disease, reactive arthritis, and hemolytic uremic
syndrome are possible.
 Action of Shiga toxin
Type of toxin action

Neurotoxicity •Due to action on blood vessels of central

nervous system.
•No direct action on neurons.

Cytotoxicity •Mamalian cells

•Colon and ileal cells

enterotoxicity •Causes fluid secretions in ligated loop of

rabbit ileum.
Antigenic structure…
 O antigens
 Shigella differentiated by the O antigens into
serotypes identified by agglutination tests with
absorbed antisera.
 A close relationship exists between the O(somatic)
antigens of many shigella serotypes and those
serotypes in other species of same genus as well
as certain serotypes of E.coli.
Group A (S.dysenteriae)
 Consist of 12 serotypes of which
 serotype 1 known as shiga’s bacillus
 serotype 2 known as schmitz’s bacillus.
 Serotype 2 shares a minor antigen with
serotype 10.
Group B (S.flexeneri)
 Consist six main serotypes and each
characterised by different specific antigen.
 Thus serotypes are 1,2 and 4 have to
subserotypes each; a and b.
 While serotypes 3 has 3 subserotypes
designated as 3a,3b,3c.
Group C (S.boydii)
 Eighteen serotypes are now recognised in
this group.

Group D (S.sonnei)
 Antigenically homogenous.
K antigens

 Shigellae possess surface (K) antigens which

are heat labile and cultures possessing them
remain inagglutinable for O antigen unless
heated at 100˚c for one hour.

Fimbrial antigens.
 The strains of S.flexeneri produce antigens on
fimbriae which are identical in all the strains
of this group.
Virulence factor…
 Three types are considered fundamental to
cause pathology;
 Lipopolysaccharide
 Exotoxin
 verocytotoxin
 Habitat…
Contaminated of
food Contaminated of water

Intestinal of human

apes monkeys
SYMPTOMS…
• Abdominal pain • vomitting

Mucous in
blood
stools

tenesmus pus

• diarrhea • fever
Cont…

 Symptom have onset time of 12 to 50 hours.

 Once appeared,can feel very uncomfortable
and some cause fatal.
 Some associated with mucosal
ulceration,rectal bleeding,drastic
dehydration.
Cultural characteristics…
 Growth requirements
 Aerobic and facultative anaerobic
 Grow over a wide range of temperature but
optimal growth is 37˚c.
 S.sonnei growth well at 10˚c as well as 45˚c.
 Grow on ordinary media provided glucose and
nicotinic acid are added to the medium.
 Morphology
 Non-sporing
 Uncapsulated
 Gram negative bacilli
 Non-motile
 Non-flagellated
 Size around 3μm x 0.6µm
Bacterial identification…
Basic test…

 S.dysenteriae
 S.flexneri
 S.boydii
 S.sonnei
Test Result

Gram stain Gram negative bacilli

Oxidase Negative
 Biochemical test…
 S.dysenteriae
 S.flexneri
 S.boydii
 S.sonnei
Test result

Motility Negative

Methyl-red (MR) Positive

Voges proskauer (VP) Negative

Citrate Negative

Phenylalanine deaminase (PD) Negative

Urease Negative

TSI K/A with no gas

 Biochemical reactions which
help to differentiate
Species Man Cat Ind LDC ODC
S.Dysenteriae shigellae
1 (Sd 1) - - - - -
2 - + + - -
3-12 - + d - -
S.Flexneri
1-5 + + d - -
6 + + - - -
S.sonnei + + - - +
S.Boydii
1-18 + + d - -

Man = Mannitol, Cat = Catalase, Ind = Indole, LDC = Lysine decarboxylase,

ODC = Ornithine decarboxylase

NOTES “Most strains positive, d. Different strains give different reactions.

Images on Agar

Blood agar

Salmonella-
Shigella agar XLD agar

MacConkey agar EMB agar Heltoen agar

Images on Biochemical tests

Negative
Urease
Negative VP
Negative
citrate

Negative PD
K/A with no gas Non-motile
 Treatment…
 Different strains of shigellae differ in their
antibiotic sensitivity to commonly used
agents.
 No specific therapy is available.
 Treatment with antibiotics tends to prolong
the excretion of bacilli and should be avoided
unless illness is very severe.
References
 David B. Frankhauser, 2001.Triple Sugar Iron Agar and Its Use.
University of Cincinnati Clermont College, Batavia. Retrieved on 15
January 2013 from
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/Labs/Microbiology/Triple_Suga
r_Iron/TSI_Use.htm
 Sridhar Rao P.N. Applied Microbiology cases: Shigella spp.
Department of Microbiology JJM Medical Collleage Davangere,
Karnataka, India. Retrieved on 15 January 2013 from
http://www.microrao.com/about_me.htm
 Latish Poulard, 2004. Shigella spp. Missouri S& T Microbiology
Biological Sciences. Retrieved on 15 January 2013 from
http://web.mst.edu/~microbio/BIO221_2004/Shigella.htm
 Dr. Nastain Ahmed. Shigella spp. Retrieved on 15 January 2013 from
http://microbiologyreports.hpage.co.in/shigella_spp__40429214.ht
ml