Molecular typing of Shigella strains

Abstract

Shigellosis remains a serious medical problem for many countries and is especially common in the developing world. In recent years, molecular-genetic methods have been increasingly replacing traditional phenotypic approaches in investigation of cases of shigellosis infection. This review discusses existing molecular-genetic methods of Shigella typing, the fields of their application, selection criteria in accordance with the goal of research, and their advantages and disadvantages.