A survey of the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of Plesiomonas shigelloides infection
Xu, X.Q.; Yu, W.B.
Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi 8(6): 343-346
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0254-6450 PMID: 3442792 Document Number: 292941
From Oct, 1984 to Oct, 1985, we have investigated Plesiomonas shigelloides infection in patients with gastroenteritis and food-poisoning in the Hospital of Chinese traditional Medicine in Hangzhou, in order to explore further the situation and affection of Plesiomonas shigelloides in diarrhea and food-poisoning. We examined Stools from 864 patients with diarrhoea and 12 patients with food poisoning and found that 12 strains of Plesiomonas shigelloides had a prevalence rate of 1.37%. In addition, we isolated simultaneously 16 strains of Shigella, 8 strains of Vibro parahoaemolyticus and 2 strains of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli. The age of 10 patients was from 15 year-old to 49-year-old, and 9 cases were male while 3 cases were female. Clinical characteristics of patients infected by Plesiomonas shigelloides was similar to those affected by shigella, an illness characterized by diarrhea with watery or mucous stool and obvious abdominal cramps. A small percentage of patients may have fever, nausea, vomiting and malaise. The median duration of diarrhea is three to four days. None of them presented severe dehydration. Most of patients being treated with antimicrobial drugs and oral replacement of Salt solution recovered completely after three or five days. Epidemiologic data suggested that five patients had ingested sea food and raw water within two days before the attack, but other members of their family who had also ingested the same food and water did not develop diarrhoea. This investigation proves that there were Plesiomonas shigelloides infection among diarrhoea patients in Hangzhou. More attention should be payed to this bacterium for further study chiefly on the pathogenesis of the disease and its preventive measures.