[Errors in the microbiologic diagnosis of shigellosis].

The authors analyze the diagnostic errors that occurred at bacteriologic laboratories of one of the districts of Russia and that led to misrepresentation of the true etiologic structure of acute enteric infections and therefore to useless ineffective antiepidemic measures. They emphasize strict adherance to a certain order of stages of laboratory diagnosis and to methodologic recommendations on microbiologic diagnosis of diseases induced by enterobacteria.