Characterization of multi-drug resistant Salmonella typhi from clinical specimens

Titus Inusa,Ediga Bede Agbo,Sahal Muhammed Rabiu,Adamu Salawudeen,Ahmed Faruq Umar

doi:10.30574/gscbps.2018.5.2.0115

Abstract

Characterization of multidrug resistant Salmonella typhi from clinical specimens was investigated. Three hundred and sixty-four (364) clinical specimens of both stool and blood were collected from patients attending selected health facilities in Bauchi metropolis. The specimens were cultured using standard media, biochemical as well as serological tests for somatic H and O antigens were used to identify isolates. Antibiotics susceptibility test was performed using standard disk diffusion method, the isolates were screened for Multidrug resistance. The total of 9(2.4%) of the 364 specimens collected yielded positive for Salmonella typhi. of the Nine (9) positive Salmonella typhi 5(55.5%) were from females and 4(44.4%) from males. Typhoid fever was most frequent in children 5(55.5%) than in adults. There was no significant difference in isolates from the different health facilities with their p values >0.05. All isolates screened were resistant to more than three (3) antibiotics, of the total isolates, 88.8% were found to be resistant to ampicillin, 77.7% resistant to cotrimoxazole, and 88.8% resistant to chloramphenicol. However, resistance to ciprofloxacin by the isolates were not found. Therefore, ciprofloxacin remains the drug of choice for severe cases of typhoid fever, although caution should be exercised by clinicians in their prescription such that fluoroquinolones antibiotics therapy is used only in laboratory-proven cases of the disease and Salmonella-associated bacteremia to preserve its efficacy. To prevent occurrence of typhoid fever, good personal hygiene, provision of portable drinking water and environmental sanitation should be employed.

Highlights

In recent past, emergence of ever-increasing number of antibiotic resistant microbial strains has become a severe health threat to human-kind and one of the biggest challenges to global drug discovery programs [1]
Children account for the highest percentage of Salmonella typhi isolated from the study group
Apart from contaminated water, faecaloral route of transmission may be a reason for the preponderance in children of Salmonella infection in children

Summary

Introduction

Emergence of ever-increasing number of antibiotic resistant microbial strains has become a severe health threat to human-kind and one of the biggest challenges to global drug discovery programs [1]. The inappropriate and over-use of antibiotics and other antimicrobials to treat infections and consequent antibiotic selection pressure are thought to be the major causative factors contributing to the appearance of strains with reduced susceptibility to antibiotics [2]. Typhoid fever is largely a disease of developing nations due to their poor standard of hygiene and unavailability of clean water. It is transmitted faeco-orally through contaminated food and water. Salmonella, a primary inhabitant of the gastrointestinal tract, is recognized as one of the most common causes of diarrhea infections worldwide, resulting in millions of infection and significant human death annually [3]. People most at risk for serious complications due to Salmonella infections include older adults, pregnant women, infants, children, and people who have compromised immune systems [4]

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