Nasal Carriage of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern among Children in Freetown, Sierra Leone

Abstract

Nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus has been demonstrated to be a major risk factor for invasive S. aureus infections in various population including children. The extent of S. aureus carriage in Sierra Leonean children is largely unknown. To determine the prevalence and pattern of antibiotic susceptibility of nasal S. aureus among children in Freetown, Sierra Leone, samples were collected from anterior nares of children less than two years at the Ola During Children’s Hospital between October 2008 and April 2009. Of the 116 children screened during the study period, S. aureus isolates were found in the nasal specimens of 40 (34.5%) of the children. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing to norfloxacin, gentamycin, erythromycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethazole, doxycycline, tetracycline and amoxycillin-clavulanic acid were observed to be 95, 35, 30, 20, 15, 7.5 and 2.5% respectively. All the isolates were susceptible to oxacillin and resistant to chloramphenicol, penicillin G, amoxycillin and ampiclox. Regular monitoring of antimicrobial susceptibility pattern may be useful.

Keywords: Antibiotic Susceptibility, Children, Nasal carriage, Staphylococcus aureus