How to differentiate between shigella dysentery and EHEC for diagnosis?
Question
How to differentiate between shigella dysentery and EHEC while diagnosis because both present with same clinical features like bloody diarrhoea,fever, malaise. Also both have same gram smear features i.e. gram negative pink color rod shaped bacteria along with RBC’s and pus cell.Also both have similar toxins and pathogenicity.
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Bacteriology
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2023-02-25T23:46:38+00:00
2023-02-25T23:46:38+00:00 1 Answer
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Answer ( 1 )
Differentiating between Shigella dysentery and EHEC can be challenging because of their similar clinical presentation and laboratory findings. However, there are a few key differences that can help in their diagnosis:
Epidemiological factors: EHEC infections are more commonly associated with consumption of undercooked ground beef or raw vegetables contaminated with fecal matter, whereas Shigella infections are more commonly associated with person-to-person transmission in areas with poor sanitation.
Serotyping: Shigella can be classified into four different species (S. dysenteriae, S. flexneri, S. boydii, and S. sonnei) based on their antigenic characteristics, whereas EHEC is a serotype of Escherichia coli that produces Shiga toxin.
Biochemical tests: Shigella can be differentiated from EHEC by a few biochemical tests such as lysine decarboxylase, ornithine decarboxylase, and motility tests.
Culture methods: Both Shigella and EHEC can be cultured on standard microbiological media, but EHEC requires special media containing sorbitol to differentiate it from non-pathogenic E. coli.
Molecular methods: Molecular techniques such as PCR can be used to identify specific genes or sequences unique to either Shigella or EHEC.
In summary, while both Shigella dysentery and EHEC can present with similar clinical and laboratory findings, epidemiological factors, serotyping, biochemical tests, culture methods, and molecular methods can be used to differentiate between the two. It is important to correctly diagnose the pathogen to initiate appropriate treatment and prevent further transmission.