Antibiotic resistance and sero-groups of shigella among paediatric out-patients in southwest Ethiopia.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prevalence of Shigella sero-groups and resistance pattern of isolates to commonly used antibiotics in Jimma.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey.

SETTING

The study was conducted in Jimma, southwest Ethiopia.

SUBJECTS

A total of 384 paediatric out-patients with diarrhoea aged 14 years and below were studied.

METHODS

Stool specimens were collected from children presenting with diarrhoea using Cary-Blair transport medium and buffer treated swabs from Jimma hospital and Jimma health centre. Isolation, biochemical characterisation, sero-grouping and antibiotic sensitivity testing were performed according to standard methodology in the Microbiology laboratory of Jimma University.

RESULTS

Out of the 77 Shigella strains isolated, sero-group A comprised 29.9%, B 40.3%, C 19.5% and D 10.4%. Among all Shigella sero-groups, highest resistance was encountered to tetracycline (63.6%), ampicillin (70.1%), cephalothin (57.1%), trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (32.5%) and chloramphenicol (40.3%) whileleast resistance was observed to gentamicin (1.3%), polymyxin B (3.9%) and nalidixic acid (6.5%).

CONCLUSION

Gentamicin, polymyxin B and nalidixic acid were found to be the drugs of choice for cases related with shigellosis.