Antibiotic susceptibility of Enteric pathogens from the Maasai community, Narok and Kajiado Districts, Kenya

Abstract

The emergence of resistance to antimicrobial agents in bacterial pathogens is a worldwide problem that has been associated with inappropriate use in human and veterinary medicine. Between August 2004 and July 2005 stool samples from 380 patients were cultured for enteric pathogens and characterized by Polymerase Chain Reaction for the presence of virulence properties. Patients were from Narok and Kajiado Districts of Kenya, mainly populated by the Maasai community majority of who practice traditional medicine. 218 patients were from Narok District Hospital and 62 from Entosopia Clinic in Kajiado. A total of 107 E. coli and 35 Shigella isolates were tested.

Antibiotic susceptibility testing was done using the E-test strips containing Tetracycline, Gentamicin, Chloramphenicol, Fosfomycin, Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid, Trimethoprim/Sulphamethoxazole, Ticarcillin/ Clavulanic acid and Ciprofloxacin. The resistance frequencies did not differ significantly between other E. coli
and Shiga toxigenic E. coli, respectively; Gentamicin (3% vs. 3%), Chloramphenicol, (24% vs. 23%) and ampicillin (25% vs. 23%), Tetracycline (63% vs. 68%), Fosfomycin (44% vs. 54%) and Trimethoprim/Sulphamethoxazole (84% vs. 84%). Overall antibiotic resistance levels were at much lower levels than those reported from the rest of Kenya, possibly due to the lower levels of exposure and usage of antimicrobials among the Maasai community.