High Level of Antimicrobial Resistance in Shigella Species Isolated From Diarrhoeal Patients in University of Gondar Teaching Hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia

Abstract

Summary Diarrhoeal diseases are the major causes of morbidity and mortality in developing world. Shigellosis is endemic throughout the world where it is held responsible for some 165 million cases of severe dysentery. The devastating majority of these cases occur in the developing countries. The present study was conducted to determine level of antimicrobial resistance among Shigella species and their occurrence in 384 diarrhoeal patients, in The University of Gondar teaching hospital, Gondar, Ethiopia from August 2005 to December 2005. A pre-designed and structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic and relevant clinical data of the patients. Stool samples were collected from all patients and processed for culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing following standard procedures. Shigella species were isolated from 16.9% (65/384) of the patients. Resistance to tetracycline, ampicillin, cotrimoxazole, chloramphenicol, gentamicine and ciprofloxacin, respectively, was found in 87.7%, 81.5%, 75.4%, 50.8%, 10.7% and 9.2% of the isolates. Fifty nine (90.8%) of the Shigella species were resistant to one or more antimicrobials. Multiple drug resistance was observed in 53 (81.5%) of the isolates. The Shigella isolates showed high level of single and multiple resistances to the commonly used antimicrobial agents. These indicate the need for surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in order to monitor the emergence and spread of multidrug resistant Shigella species.