Jpn. J. Infect. Dis., 58 (4), 232-234, 2005
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Short Communication
Pathogenicity of Shigella in Healthy
Carriers: a Study in Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic
Bounnanh Phantouamath, Noikaseumsy Sithivong, Sithat Insisiengmay,
Yoshio Ichinose1, Naomi Higa2,
Tianyan Song2 and Masaaki Iwanaga2*
Center for Laboratory and Epidemiology, Ministry of Health,
Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic, 1Seihi
Public Health Center, Nagasaki Prefecural Government, Nagasaki
852-8523 and 2Division of Bacterial Pathogenesis,
Department of Microbiology, Graduated School of Medicine, University
of the Ryukyus, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan
(Received February 22, 2005. Accepted March 31, 2005)
*Corresponding author: Mailing address: Division of Bacterial
Pathogenesis, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus,
207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan. Tel: +81-98-895-1125,
Fax: +81-98-895-1408, E-mail: iwanaga@med.u-ryukyu.ac.jp
SUMMARY: Shigella spp. isolated from diarrheal patients
and non-diarrheal carriers were examined by PCR for the presence
of two pathogenic genes, chromosomal ipaH and invasive
plasmid encoded ial. Shigella spp. were detected
in 7 of 72 diarrheal cases examined (9.7%), and 9 of 145 non-diarrheal
cases (6.2%). All isolates from diarrheal cases harbored both
ipaH and ial, while all isolates from non-diarrheal
cases were positive for ipaH but not ial. These
results suggested that Shigella spp. in healthy carriers
were basically non-pathogenic.
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