Antimicrobial Resistance of Clinical Isolates Of Salmonella Typhi In Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigeria.

W. F. *Sule,  A. A. Adige,  M. J. Abubakar,  M. O. Ojezele

¹Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, Osun State University, PMB 4494, Oke-Baale, Osogbo, 230212, Osun State, Nigeria.

²Department of Microbiology, Kogi State University, Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigeria.

³Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria.

⁴Department of Nursing Science, Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

*Corresponding Author E-mail: equine318@yahoo.com;

 Tel: +2348032071447

Accepted 03 May, 2012

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella typhi, the causative agent of typhoid fever, is a common public health problem in developing countries. This study investigated the incidence rate of S. typhi infection and antimicrobial resistance of clinical isolates of this pathogen to 10 different antibiotics commonly prescribed by physicians in two popular health facilities in Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigeria. The antibiotics studied were: pefloxacin (10µg), ciprofloxacin (10µg), augmentin (30µg), gentamicin (10µg), co-trimoxazole (30µg), ampicillin (30µg), streptomycin (30µg), nalidixic acid (30µg), cephalexin (10µg) and ofloxacin (10µg). Stool samples were obtained from fifty suspected typhoid fever patients in Grimard Catholic hospital and Maria Gorreti hospital. Laboratory isolation and identification of S. typhi were done using standard morphological and biochemical methods. Antibiotic sensitivity test was carried out on the isolates using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method on nutrient agar. Thirty of the 50 stool samples studied yielded S. typhi in culture, giving incidence rate of 60.0%. Of the 30 isolates of S. typhi, we did not observe complete susceptibility to any of the antibiotics. One hundred per cent resistance was observed in vitro to six antibiotics (pefloxacin, ciprofloxacin, augmentin, gentamicin, co-trimoxazole and ampicillin); furthermore, each of the isolates showed multi-resistance to, at least, six antibiotics. Eight (26.7%) isolates, however, were resistant to all the antibiotics. The susceptibility pattern of the remaining isolates to those four antibiotics with antibacterial activity against S. typhi was 40.0% (streptomycin), 20.0% (nalidixic acid), 20.0% (cephalexin) and 10.0% (ofloxacin). Though streptomycin showed the highest antibacterial activity, more than 50% of the isolates were still found resistant to it. We therefore suggest the use of other antibiotics (probably as combination) for effective the treatment of typhoid fever in Anyigba.

Keywords: hospital, stool sample, Salmonella typhi, antimicrobial resistance, Anyigba, Nigeria.