Prevalence and Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Isolated from Healthy Inhabitants of Uturu Rural Communities, Abia State, Nigeria

Abstract

The antimicrobial resistance ability and extraordinary virulence of community acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus which allow it infect healthy persons are major medical issues worldwide. A total of 84 (nose and ear swabs, urine) samples were collected from healthy individuals and screened for Staphylococcus aureus using standard microbiological techniques. Susceptibility testing of the isolates to oxacillin and to other conventional antimicrobial sensitivity discs of some antibiotics readily accessible in the study area was done using the discs diffusion method. Staphylococcus aureus was grown from 69(82.1%) samples while 51(60.7%) of the cultures were methicillin-resistant. The 51(60.7%) community acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates showed a percentage resistance pattern which included 100% resistance to ampicillin followed by amoxicillin (64.7%)?  vancomycin (35.3%)? erythromycin (19.6%)? ceftriaxone (17.6%)? gentamycin (13.7%)? ciprofloxacin (11.8%)? ofloxacin (7.8%). High resistance to vancomycin (35.3%) was recorded in the study area. Ofloxacin was the best antibiotic of choice in the treatment of disorders associated with community acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the study area. Other antibiotics such as gentamycin, and ciprofloxacin proved to be potent in the management of MRSA infections. Ten solates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus obtained showed multidrug resistance to at least 4 antibiotics tested and this necessitates caution in the prescription of antibiotics without proper indication. The high prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the study area is of great public health importance and calls for effective measures including public enlightenment to discourage indiscriminate use of antimicrobials.

Keywords: Community acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, prevalence, antibiotics susceptibility pattern, ofloxacin, Nigeria.