The intra-familial shigella transmission rate was 8 % (17/227).
A total of 161 shigella strains were isolated from humans during the year of study.
Shigella was isolated starting at 6 months of age and 19 % of diarrhoeal episodes in children were associated with shigella infections.
Finally, 227 (58 %) patients with culture-proven shigella infections were retained as index cases of whom 133 (59 %) were males.
The attributable risk for shigella-associated diarrhoea due to intra-familial transmission was 50%.
Shigella species are important pathogens responsible for diarrhoeal diseases and dysentery occurring all over the world.
All the stool specimens were negative for salmonella, shigella, campylobacter and other common enteric pathogens.
The definition of asymptomatic carriage of shigella was based on only one stool specimen, rather than specimens of 10 consecutive days.
