Species Distribution and Antibiotic Resistance in Coagulase-negative Staphylococci Colonizing the Gastrointestinal Tract of Children in Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Abstract
Purpose: The antimicrobial susceptibility of 149 coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) isolates from faecal samples of children in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, was evaluated in order to determine their contribution to antimicrobial resistance in the community. Methods: The isolates were identified to the species level by conventional methods, and their susceptibility to 20 antibiotics was tested by disk diffusion and to vancomycin by agar dilution. Results: The species distribution was as follows: Staphylococcus epidermidis 45 (30.2 %), S. haemolyticus, 26 (17.5 %); S. capitis, 24 (16.1 %); S. xylosus, 11 (7.4 %); S. saprophyticus, 8 (5.4 %); S. warneri, 8 (5.4 %); S. hominis, 6 (4.0 %); S. schleiferi, 5 (3.3 %); S. lugdunensis, 3 (2.0 %) and S. capitis sub ureolyticus, 3 (2.0 %) and isolates from other CoNS species 10 (6.7 %). Resistance to the β- lactam antibiotics was in excess of 50 % of the isolates tested whilst there was significant incidence of resistance to cotrimoxazole, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, erythromycin, fusidic acid and norfloxacin. The highest percentage of oxacillin resistance was found among S. haemolyticus (46.2%) while the lowest was in S. capitis (8.3%). Reduced susceptibility (MIC > 4mg/L) to vancomycin was shown by both oxacillin-resistant and susceptible CoNS species. Conclusion: The gastrointestinal tracts of children could serve as a reservoir for antibiotic-resistant CoNS, some of which had reduced susceptibility to vancomycin.
Keywords: Coagulase-negative staphylococci, gastrointestinal tract, antibiotics resistance, vancomycin resistance, children, Nigeria
Submission of a manuscript to this journal is a representation that the manuscript has not been published previously and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
All authors named in each manuscript would be required to sign a form (to be supplied by the Editor) so that they may retain their copyright in the article but to assign to us (the Publishers) and its licensees in perpetuity, in all forms, formats and media (whether known or created in the future) to (i) publish, reproduce, distribute, display and store the contribution, (ii) translate the contribution into other languages, create adaptations, reprints, include within collections and create summaries, extracts and/or abstracts of the contribution, (iii) create any other derivative works(s) based on the contribution, (iv) to exploit all subsidiary rights in the contribution, (v) the inclusion of electronic links from the contribution to third party material where-ever it may be located, and (vi) license any thrid party to do any or all of the above.
