was a
Japanese physician and
bacteriologist.
Biography
Shiga was born in
Sendai,
Miyagi Prefecture, though his original family name was Satō. He graduated from the Medical School of
Tokyo Imperial University in 1896 and went to work at the Institute for the Study of Infectious Diseases under Dr.
Kitasato Shibasaburō. Shiga became famous for the discovery of
Shigella dysenteriae, the bacillus causing
dysentery, in 1897, during a severe epidemic in which more than 90,000 cases were reported, with a mortality rate approaching 30%. The bacterium
Shigella was thus named after him, as well as the
shiga toxin, which is produced by the bacterium.
After the discovery of
Shigella, Shiga worked with
Paul Ehrlich in
Germany from 1901 to 1905. After returning to Japan, he resumed the study of infectious diseases with Dr. Kitasato. He became a professor at
Keio University in 1920.
From 1929-31, Shiga was the president of
Keijō Imperial University in
Keijo and was senior medical advisor to the
Japanese Governor-General of Korea. Shiga was a recipient of the
Order of Culture in 1944. He was also awarded the
Order of the Sacred Treasure, 1st class, on his death in 1957.
References
- Csuros, Maria. Microbiological Examination of Water and Wastewater. CRC Press (1999). ISBN 1-56670-179-1
- Kleinman. Pediatric Gastrointestinal Disease (2008). ISBN 1550093649
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