Abstract
The indiscriminate use of drugs, medication and non-adherence are one of the factors that has led to the emergence of multi-drug resistant Salmonella typhi. This study was conducted to assess the incidence of typhoid fever among out-patients in some selected Specialist Hospitals in Ilorin Metropolis and to determine the susceptibility of the causative agent to antibiotics and plant extract of Cymbopogon citratus. A cross-sectional survey was completed over a five-month surveillance period in these four locations namely: The Children Specialist Hospital Centre Igboro; Cottage Hospital; Adewole Specialist Hospital Alagbado; and Civil Service Hospital with a total of about 400 blood samples from out-patients across ages. Antibiogram profiling of the isolates to standard gram-negative antibiotics and antibacterial activity of Cymbopogon citratus extracts were determined using disc diffusion method. A total of Eight (8) Salmonella typhi isolates were recovered collectively from the patients. All the isolates were multi-drug resistant with a notable resistance to chloramphenicol, ampicillin and co-trimoxazole. Molecular confirmation of the isolates showed DNA size of 500 base pairs. The ethanolic extract of Cymbopogon citratus was more potent with MIC of 12.5mg/ml and MBC 25mg/ml while the phytochemical screening of the plants revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, tannins, saponins, steroids and glycosides. The promising outcome of the plant extract against Salmonella typhi posits its possible application in treatment against the infectious agent.
Highlights
Salmonella typhi, a motile, facultative anaerobe, is a typical Salmonella serovar that causes typhoid fever which pose a major threat to general health in developing countries (Qamar et al, 2014)
There has been a decrease in the worldwide spread of typhoid fever; the emergence of multi-drug resistant S. typhi (MDRST) is still a threat to public health
All phytochemicals screened in this study were detected except alkaloids and saponins which were absent in the methanolic extract of the plant. This result is in accordance with the findings of Geetha and Geetha (2014). The detection of these phytochemicals depends on the solvent used for extraction; as this study suggests that ethanol is stronger solvent than methanol for the extraction of the phytochemicals of Cymbopogon citratus
Summary
Salmonella typhi, a motile, facultative anaerobe, is a typical Salmonella serovar that causes typhoid fever which pose a major threat to general health in developing countries (Qamar et al, 2014). Typhoid fever is a systemic infection which may last for about three to four weeks and death rate ranges between 12% and 30%. There has been a decrease in the worldwide spread of typhoid fever; the emergence of multi-drug resistant S. typhi (MDRST) is still a threat to public health. There exist about 107 strains of this organism with varying metabolic characteristics, virulence level, Corresponding Author: Ibikunle Ibitayo Anibijuwon Department of Microbiology, Public Health Laboratory Unit, Faculty of Life sciences, University of Ilorin, II.
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