Fecal Carriage of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci among Hospitalized Patients in Khartoum Sudan

Abstract

<p><strong>Background:</strong> Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci have emerged as important nosocomial pathogens worldwide. These organisms are often resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents limiting the number of antimicrobial treatment options.</p> <p><strong>Aim</strong>: This study aimed to isolate and identify the vancomycin-resistant enterococci from fecal specimens of hospitalized patients in Soba hospitals- in Khartoum, Sudan.</p> <p><strong>Methods</strong>: The current is a descriptive cross-sectional laboratory-based study. 100 hospitalized patients were selected randomly. A fecal specimen was collected from each participant and inoculated on Kanamycin esculin azide agar and incubated at 37<sup>O</sup>C overnight. Isolated colonies were identified using conventional microbiological methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was determined by using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Vancomycin resistance was detected by using vancomycin screening agar. Collected data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science, version 22, <em>P. value</em> <0.05 was considered statistically significant</p> <p><strong>Results: </strong>Out of 100 fecal specimens, 89 <em>Enterococcus</em> <em>spp</em>. were isolated. 1 out of 89 Enterococci 1.1%) were found vancomycin resistance. Resistant to Ceftriaxone was 100%, Rifampicin was 98.9% and streptomycin was 89.9%.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> There was a low prevalence of a vancomycin-resistant and wide range of other antimicrobial agents' resistance with an increase in multi-drug resistant strains of enterococci.</p>