Shigella

• Not significant cause of infection in domestic animals
• Causes dysentery in humans and primates
• Enteroinvasive, invading the intestinal mucosa and causing necrosis
• Do not cause systemic disease - they do not invade beyond the lamina propria to the bloodstream
• A large plasmid permits survival in cells and is responsible for invasivenss
• Closely related to E. coli - some strains produce Shiga toxin which is related to vero cytotoxin of E. coli

• Cause of dysentery in humans and primates.

Dysentery in Humans and Primates

• Shigella is are enteroinvasive,
  • Penetrate the intestinal mucosa.
  • Cause necrosis in patches of mucosa.
• Shigella do not invade beyond the lamina propria to the bloodstream.
• Invasive potential is carried by a large plasmid.
  • Relates to the ability to survive inside the host cells.
• Some strains produce Shiga toxin.
  • Related to vero cytotoxin of some pathogenic strains of E.coli.