Growing antimicrobial resistance of Shigella isolates.

Appropriate antibiotic treatment of shigellosis depends on identifying resistance patterns. By studying Shigella isolates in central Israel from 1998 to 2000, and comparing with the period 1991-1992, we identified a significantly increased resistance to tetracycline (from 23% to 87%, P < 0.00001), high resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (94%) and ampicillin (85%) and emerging resistance to quinolones (0.5-2%). These data mandate local monitoring of resistance and its consideration in empirical therapy.