Diarrheal diseases are the world's second leading cause of death in children aged under 5 years, and of these, bacillary dysentery or shigellosis remains a major public health issue. This disease is most prevalent in African and South-East Asian countries, where it is endemic despite significant improvements in terms of access to drinking water and management of contaminated water. Consequently, vaccination remains the preferred method of prevention although there are no vaccines currently approved.