Convulsions are common complications of shigellosis in children. Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), a stress neurohormone, has been implicated in the susceptibility of young children to seizures. We investigated the role of CRH in Shigella-related seizures. Pretreatment with Shigella dysenteriae sonicate enhanced mice response to pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures. Preinjection of antalarmin, a CRH-receptor 1 antagonist, decreased both the mean convulsion score (MCS: 1.6 vs. 1.1, p<0.05) and the percent of mice having seizures (48% vs. 28%, p=0.03). This indicates that CRH plays a role in the increased susceptibility to seizures following exposure to S. dysenteriae.