[Studies concerning dysenteric infections in a closed children's community before and after antidysenteric vaccination. I. Epidemiological considerations on acute intestinal infections].

In the closed children's community studied between 1 Jan. 1976 and 13 June 1977, a high proportion (54%) of the total number of acute intestinal infections was of dysenteric etiology, i.e. 46,9% in the 0--1 year age-group and 21,1% in the 1--3 years age-group, the dominant Shigella subtype being represented by Shigella flexneri 2a (25.1%). As only 37.2% of the total number of dysentery cases were manifested by enterocolitis and a high proportion (33.3%) ran a chronic course, the disease was not immediately diagnosed, an inadequate treatment was applied and a great number of carriers appeared. This, together with the high receptivity of such communities, accounts for the endemoepidemic character of the infection. Antidysenteric vaccination with the VADIZEN Dr. Istrati live bacillus vaccine, followed by a period of postvaccinal protection, with diminution in the number of dysentery, carriage and enteritis cases, both among the vaccinated and the non-vaccinated children, proves the utility of this vaccine in closed children's communities.