infectious diseases
Shigellosis
Diagnosis of Shigellosis
Stool culture Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing Diagnosis of shigellosis is facilitated by a high index of suspicion during outbreaks and in endemic areas and by the presence of fecal leukocytes on smears stained withmethylene blueor Wright stain. Stool cultures are diagnostic and should be obtained; for severely ill or at-risk patients, antimicrobial sensitivity testing is done. PCR testing is also available. In patients with symptoms of dysentery (bloody and mucoid stools), the differential diagnosis should include Infection by Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Other Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) , The mucosal surface, as seen through a proctoscope, is diffusely erythematous with numerous small ulcers. Although leukopenia or marked leukocytosis may be present, white blood cell count averages 13,000/mcL (13 × 109/L). Hemoconcentration is common, as is diarrhea-induced metabolic acidosis. 