ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY PATTERN OF STREPTOCCOCUS PNEUMONIAE IN ILORIN, NIGERIA

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance is an increasing problem, particularly among previously sensitive Streptococcus pneumoniae. The emergence of wide spread resistance to antimicrobial agents complicates therapy of infections caused by these organisms. Between January and December 2002, one hundred and fifty-eight isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae at the microbiology laboratory of the University of Ilorin Teaching were studied, in order to determine their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. All the isolates were recovered from clinical samples and identified by their alpha-haemolytic reaction on sheep blood agar, bile solubility and their sensitivity to optochin. Susceptibility testing was carried out using the stokes-disc diffusion method. Majority of the Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates (78.4%) were recovered from the cerebrospinal fluids, 18 (11.3%) from sputum, 14 (9%) from throat swab and 2 (1.3%) from eye swab. Eight three percent of the isolates were resistant to penicillin G and 12.7% were resistant to more than three antibiotics. The isolates were largely sensitive to the third generation cephalosporins and quinolones. The study has shown that penicillins are no longer useful for the treatment of infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in this centre. The cephalosporins and quinolones however remained effective and are therefore recommended.


Keywords; Streptococcus pneumoniae, Susceptibility, Antimicrobial


Afr. J. Clin. Exper. Microbiol. 2004; 5(2): 172 – 176.