Abstract
Purpose This study was carried out to investigate the sources of infection and modes ot transmission of an 107 (54males, 53 females) confirmed shigellosis in Gyeongiu from Sept 24 to Oct 24,1998Methods We reviewed hospital recoids of all confirmed shigellosis Thirty-two stiains of Shigella sonnei isolated wereanalyzed m order to trace the source of infections by plasmid profile, antimicrobial drug resistance pattern, biotyping andpulsed-fietd gel electrophoresis (PFGE) Results The first source of infection was estimated to be contaminated underground water and simple piped water caused by leakage from the cess pool Antimicrobial drug resistance pattern showed that all strains were multi-iesistant All isolates had the same XbaI and SfiI PFGE patterns, indicating the epidemiological relationship of the outbreaks strains in this area The majoi charactenstics of diarrhea were watery (84 2%) in nature The climcal symptoms among the diarrheal cases mcluded abdominal pain (86 1%), fever (83 2%), headache (78 2%), ctnll (45 5%) and tenesmus (41 6%) Six cases wereasymptomatic From imtial manifestation to admission were 62$\pm$16 (median 6) days, so it could be transmitted to otheisin this infective period Dmation of admission were 55$\pm$24 (median 6) daysWe can find familial mean secondary attack rate were 38 5%Conclusion it's transmission to othei areas were certified by contaminated water and contact with shigeilosis, andunknown cases were estimated to be transmitted by contacts with inapparent infection By plasmid profile and PFGE, theepidemiological relationship of the outbreaks stiains in this area seemed to be the same micro-organisms