Shigellosis is one of the acute bowel infections and remains a serious public health problem in resource-poor countries. The present study aimed to survey the distribution of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Shigella strains isolated from patients with diarrhea in northwest Iran. In the present cross-sectional study, from January 2019 to December 2020, 1280 fecal samples were collected from children with diarrhea in Ardabil, Iran. Multiplex PCR assay was applied for the presence of ipaH, invC, wbgZ, rfpB, and rfc genes to detect Shigella spp., Shigella sonnei, Shigella dysenteriae, Shigella flexneri, and Shigella boydii, respectively. Phenotypic detection of ESBL-producing isolates was carried out using the Double Disc Test (DDT). The frequency of main ESBL encoding genes including blaCTX-M, blaSHV, and blaTEM was detected using multiplex PCR. The genetic similarity of S. sonnei isolates was determined using ERIC PCR. A total of 49 Shigella isolates (3.8%; 49/1280) including 42 (85.7%) S. sonnei, 5 (10.2%) S. flexneri, and 2 (4%) S. dysenteriae were identified. S. boydii was not detected in any fecal samples. ESBLs were produced by 10.2% of Shigella spp. including 3 S. sonnei, 1 S. flexneri, and 1 S. dysenteriae. The ESBL encoding genes include blaCTX-M and blaTEM found in 65.3% and 61.2% of isolates, respectively. blaSHV gene was not detected in any isolates. The ERIC-PCR profiles allowed the differentiation of 42 S. sonnei strains into 6 clusters. Our study revealed a high frequency of ESBL-encoding genes among Shigella spp. in northwest Iran. The high prevalence of S. sonnei harboring ESBL genes, in the present work, is the main challenge for dysentery treatment, and this concern justifies the need for effective and regular monitoring of antibiotic usage among patients.

中文翻译：

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志贺氏菌的分子检测和表征。在伊朗西北部的腹泻儿童中携带超广谱 β-内酰胺酶基因

志贺菌病是一种急性肠道感染，在资源匮乏的国家仍然是一个严重的公共卫生问题。本研究旨在调查从伊朗西北部腹泻患者中分离出的产超广谱 β-内酰胺酶 (ESBL) 志贺氏菌菌株的分布。在本横断面研究中，从 2019 年 1 月到 2020 年 12 月，从伊朗阿尔达比勒的腹泻儿童身上收集了 1280 份粪便样本。应用多重 PCR 测定法检测 ipaH、invC、wbgZ、rfpB 和 rfc 基因的存在，分别检测志贺氏菌属、宋内志贺氏菌、痢疾志贺氏菌、弗氏志贺氏菌和波氏志贺氏菌。使用双盘测试 (DDT) 对产 ESBL 分离株进行表型检测。主要 ESBL 编码基因的频率包括 blaCTX-M、blaSHV、使用多重 PCR 检测 blaTEM。使用 ERIC PCR 确定 S. sonnei 分离株的遗传相似性。共鉴定出 49 株志贺氏菌（3.8%；49/1280），包括 42 株（85.7%）宋内志贺菌、5 株（10.2%）福氏志贺菌和 2 株（4%）痢疾杆菌。在任何粪便样本中均未检测到 S. boydii。ESBLs 由 10.2% 的志贺氏菌产生。包括3个S. sonnei、1个S. flexneri和1个S. dysenteriae。ESBL 编码基因包括 blaCTX-M 和 blaTEM，分别存在于 65.3% 和 61.2% 的分离株中。在任何分离株中均未检测到 blaSHV 基因。ERIC-PCR 配置文件允许将 42 个 S. sonnei 菌株分化为 6 个簇。我们的研究揭示了志贺氏菌属中 ESBL 编码基因的高频率。在伊朗西北部。在目前的工作中，携带 ESBL 基因的 S. sonnei 的患病率很高，