Shigellosis and toxic megacolon secondary to Shigella flexneri serotype 3a: The challenges of laboratory diagnosis

Abstract

We present a rare case of Shigella flexneri bacteraemia and toxic megacolon, and discuss the challenges of conventional laboratory techniques versus molecular PCR platforms in differentiating between Shigella species and Escherichia coli. Keywords: Shigella flexneri, Shigellosis, Toxic megacolon, Culture, PCR