SHIGELLA

Dr SOMA BOSE
A member of enterobacteriaceae
family
 Cause of bacillary dysentery
 Named after japanese microbologist kiyoshii

Shiga .
Morphology :
GnB, Non sporing , NM , NC
Non Motile , Non
Capsulated
CULTURE :
Nutrient Agar & blood agar
MacConkey’s agar : Pale colonies ( NLF )
Exception shigella sonnei
Late Lactose fermenters
Deoxycholate citrate agar : excellent plating media , Pale colonies ,No black centers.
Wilson blair’s BSA : Growth inhibited
XLD ( Xylose Lactose Deoxycholate ) : Best selective media
Colonies are red without Black centers .
Hekton Enteric agar : direct plating media for stool specimens .shigella green ,
Salmonella blue green with black centers due to H2S
Peptone Water & Nutrient broth : Uniform turbidity , forms surface pellicle
Selenite F Broth : only Shigella sonnei & Shigella flexneri 6
Tetra thionate broth & brilliant green media : Inhibitory & unsuitable
GN broth : Most strains grow well
Biochemical Reactions :
Virulence factors :
 Surface properties :
 O antigens (passage through host defenses )
 LPS – Cell wall ( Inflammatory response )
 Invasiveness :
 Large plasmid coding VMA ( Virulence

Marker Antigen) present in outer membrane

protein – Helps in cell penetration
 Detected by ELISA
 Toxins : Shigella dysenteriae type – I ,

produces powerful exotoxins ( Shiga toxin )

Shigella shiga toxin
 Sheigella dysenteriae Type–I/ Shigella shiga
 Powerful Exotoxin acts as ( deadliest )
 1)As neurotoxin – Blood vessels of CNS,

microangiopathy -
 2)As Enterotoxin –Two types , Like ETEC
 3)As cytotoxins : cytopathogenic effects on

vero cells – like VTEC

 Manifestations - CNS – Altered

consciousness, seizures , Oliguria , HUS ,

TTP along with dysentery .
Complications :
 Post dysentery – ulceration , perforation
 Toxic mega colon
 Bacteremia - rare
 Reiter’s syndrome
Lab Diagnosis :
 Specimens :
 Freshly passed stool
 Rectal swab
 Transport media :
 Gram Negative broth
 Cary – blair’s media
 Contains deoxycholate
 inhibits Gram Pos bacteria

 Enrichment media – Selenite- F Broth

Colonies of shigella in XLD agar
 Microscopy : Plenty of pus cells , RBCs .
 Culture : Mucus Flakes in DCA , XLD , SS

Agar .
 DCA / SS – Pale colonies
 XLD – Red colonies
 NonMotile
 Urease , KCN , H2S , Citrate – Negative
 HE Agar : Bile salts as inhibitory agent
 Contains dyes , appear green .
 Serotyping : Identification done by
Polyvalent & monovalent antisera
 Serotyping : Detection of antibodies in

serum
 S . Flexneri is commonest types
 S. sonnei mildest infections .
 S .boyddi rarest type.