Studies On The Distribution Of Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus In Hospital And Non-Hospital Environments In Abia State.

ABSTRACT

 A total of 70 ear and nasal swab samples collected from 35 persons, 16 hospital population and 19 non-hospital population were examined for Staphylococcus aureus using mannitol salt Agar. Eighty percent (28) of the population were carriers of Staph. aureus. Out of the 28 positive cases, 35.7% were carriers of Staph. aureus in both the ear and nostrils, while 14.3% and 50.0% had it only in their ear and nostrils respectively. The Staph. aureus isolates varied in their antibiotic susceptibility pattern when tested for their sensitivity to 16 antibioctics namely: Penicillin, Rifampicin, Peflacine, Streptomycin, Gentamycin, Lincomycin, Ciprofloxacin, Nalidixic acid, Chloramphenicol, Erythromycin, Tetracycline, Ampicilin, Ampiclox, Amoxil and Cloxacillin. Twenty eight (80.0%) isolates were resistant to more than one of the antimicrobial agents. All the isolates (100%) showed resistance to Nalidixic acid and 100% sensitivity to Rifampicin. Hospital strains (25.5%) were resistant to 10 antibiotics and 25.5% of non-hospital strains were resistant to 7 antibiotics.