

@article {14843,
	title = {Detection of {Shigella} by a {PCR} {Assay} {Targeting} the {ipaH} {Gene} {Suggests} {Increased} {Prevalence} of {Shigellosis} in {Nha} {Trang}, {Vietnam}},
	journal = {Journal of Clinical Microbiology},
	volume = {42},
	number = {5},
	year = {2004},
	pages = {2031{\textendash}2035},
	abstract = {Shigella spp. are exquisitely fastidious gram-negative organisms which frequently escape detection by traditional culture methods. To get a more complete understanding of the disease burden caused by Shigella in Nha Trang, Vietnam, real-time PCR was used to detect Shigella DNA. Randomly selected rectal swab specimens from 60 Shigella culture-positive patients and 500 Shigella culture-negative patients detected by population-based surveillance of patients seeking care for diarrhea were processed by real-time PCR. The target of the primer pair is the invasion plasmid antigen H gene sequence (ipaH), carried by all four Shigella species and enteroinvasive Escherichia coli. Shigella spp. could be isolated from the rectal swabs of 547 of 19,206 (3\%) patients with diarrhea. IpaH was detected in 55 of 60 (93\%) Shigella culture-positive specimens, whereas it was detected in 87 of 245 (36\%) culture-negative patients free of dysentery (P {\textbackslash}textbackslashtextless 0.001). The number of PCR cycles required to detect a PCR product was highest for culture-negative, nonbloody diarrheal specimens (mean number of cycles to detection, 36.6) and was lowest for children with culture-positive, bloody diarrheal specimens (mean number of cycles, 25.3) (P {\textbackslash}textbackslashtextless 0.001). The data from real-time PCR amplification indicate that the culture-proven prevalence of Shigella among patients with diarrhea may underestimate the prevalence of Shigella infections. The clinical presentation of shigellosis may be directly related to the bacterial load.},
	doi = {10.1128/jcm.42.5.2031-2035.2004},
	author = {Vu D Thiem and Sethabutr, Orntipa and von Seidlein, Lorenz and Van Tung, Tran and Do G Canh and Bui T Chien and Le H Tho and Lee, Hyejon and Huo S Houng and Hale, Thomas L and Clemens, John D and Mason, Carl and Dang D Trach}
}
