Abstract

MULTIDRUG RESISTANCE PROFILES OF CLINICAL ISOLATES OF PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA AND ESCHERICHIA COLI OF CLINICAL ORIGIN

*Ugbo Emmanuel, Ezaka Emmanuel, Orji Jerry, Moses Ikechukwu, Agumah Nnabuife, Nwachi Chinyere, Ogene Lilian, Okata-Nwali Divine, Ngwu Justina

ABSTRACT

The indiscriminate use of antibiotics contributes to the dissemination of multiple antibiotic resistances in bacterial pathogens in the community and hospital environment; and this development is of serious public health importance. This study was conducted to determine the incidence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli in certain clinical samples as well as to determine their susceptibility patterns to some commonly used antibiotics. The organisms were isolated using standard microbiological techniques and the antibiotic susceptibility study was determined using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method as per the guidelines of Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI). The result of this studies showed that most of the clinical isolates were highly resistant to amoxicillin and amoxycillin-clavulanic acid. It was also observed that these clinical isolates showed least resistance to gentamicin, ofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin. There was a significant difference (P≥ 0.05) in the percentage resistance patterns between the clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa and E. coli. Eleven isolates that were resistant to more than one antibiotic were subjected to plasmid curing using 1 % and 5 % sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). It was observed that at treatment with 1 % SDS, some of the isolates became resistant to more than one antibiotic. But when SDS was increased to 5 %, some of the isolates that were resistant became completely sensitive to all the antibiotics used. However, one of the P. aeruginosa that was initially sensitive to chloramphenicol became completely resistant at 5 % SDS and another isolate of P. aeruginosa that was initially sensitive to septrin, sparfloxacin and ciprofloxacin became completely resistant at 1 % and 5 % SDS. Conclusively, the clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa and E. coli used in this study were multiply resistant to some commonly used antibiotics; and the transfer of resistance gene amongst organisms could be responsible for the growing development and spread of resistance in this environment.

Keywords: Multiple antibiotic resistance, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Plasmid curing, Antimicrobial susceptibility testing