Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Salmonella spp. from Patients’ Blood Specimen in Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia
Precious Nnedimma Sabastine-Nkeonadi *
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Abia State University, Uturu, Abia State, Nigeria.
Elendu C. Onwuchekwa
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Abia State University, Uturu, Abia State, Nigeria.
Uzochukwu Kenneth Chukwu
Department of Microbiology, College of Natural Sciences, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria.
Ebubechi Uloma Okey-Kalu
Department of Microbiology, College of Natural Sciences, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Salmonella species are important public health pathogens associated with bloodstream infections, particularly in settings where sanitation and healthcare access may be limited.
Aims: This study evaluated the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of Salmonella spp. isolated from patients’ blood specimens at Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia.
Methodology: A total of 470 whole-blood samples were collected from 470 patients and cultured. Suspected organisms were recovered from 88 samples (18.7%). Seventy-four suspected samples were sub-cultured onto selective media, including Xylose Lysine Deoxycholate agar, Salmonella-Shigella agar and MacConkey agar. Positive bacterial growth was obtained from 22 samples (29.7%), while 66 samples (75.0%) were negative after sub-culture. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method, and the results were interpreted in relation to the tested isolates and reported inhibition-zone patterns within the hospital.
Results: Higher susceptibility was observed with cefuroxime, ceftriaxone and ciprofloxacin. Azithromycin and nalidixic acid showed lower susceptibility, while ampicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate and chloramphenicol showed moderate activity. Gentamicin and tetracycline showed resistance among the isolates tested. None of the isolates was reported as multidrug resistant.
Conclusion: The findings indicate the need for continued blood culture surveillance and antimicrobial susceptibility testing to support the management of patients with Salmonella infections in the study setting.
Keywords: Salmonella spp., antimicrobial susceptibility, blood culture, multidrug resistance.