Whole genome sequencing of Shigella spp. from the Global Enteric Multicenter Study. Informing shigellosis prevention and control through pathogen genomics

Shigella spp. are the most common bacterial cause of moderate-to-severe childhood diarrhoea in resource poor settings and there is no licensed vaccine. The Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS) was a large case-control study investigating the aetiology and burden of moderate-to-severe diarrhoea in children less than five years old in low- and middle-income countries. GEMS revealed shigellosis as the leading bacterial cause of diarrhoeal illness in children, who represent a major target group for vaccination. Here, we performed whole genome sequencing of Shigella isolates from GEMS to explore the prevalence of AMR Shigella and assess the implications of diversity for vaccine development to help guide treatment and management of shigellosis in those populations most vulnerable to the disease.