[Resistance patterns in Shigella].

Diarrhea is the most common health problem in travelers to tropical countries. Shigellae are not the primary cause but often provoke clinically relevant diseases that call for treatment. Therefore, we have analyzed resistance patterns in all Shigella strains isolated at this department over 1 1/2 years. Of 107 isolates 77% were resistant to tetracycline, 33% to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, 31% to ampicillin, and only 2% to nalidixic acid. Differences in resistance patterns for isolates of different geographical origins were marginal. The small number of strains resistant to nalidixic acid (2/107) suggests that agents inhibiting DNA gyrase may be useful for self-administered treatment during travel as well as upon return. Controlled clinical trials, however, are still lacking.