Childhood Urinary Tract Infection in Abakaliki: Etiological Organisms and Antibiotic Sensitivity Pattern

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common childhood infection in the Tropics which causes significant illness and is frequently missed; probably because of its non-specific presentation and similarity with other common illnesses. Objectives: To determine the prevalence; common etiological agents; and the susceptibility of these pathogens to the commonly available antimicrobial agents in this center. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study carried out at the Children's Outpatient Clinic and Children's Emergency Ward of Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (EBSUTH). The study was carried out between January 1; 2007 and December 31; 2009. Results: One hundred ten subjects of the 3625 children seen in the center during the period of study had UTI giving a case prevalence rate of 3.0. Majority of the patients (59; 53.6) were less than 2 years of age with a male:female ratio of 1:1.3. Fever was the commonest presenting symptom and the commonest organisms isolated in urine were Klebsiella (27; 24.5); and Staphylococcus aureus (24; 21.8). The drugs that were most sensitive to these organisms were Gentamicin (50; 45.5); Ceftriaxone (49; 44.5); and Ciprofloxacin (36; 32.7). Conclusion: The study revealed a high prevalence of UTI among children. Klebsiella was the commonest causative organism isolated in the urine. Gentamicin; Ceftriaxone; and Ciprofloxacin were the antimicrobials with the highest sensitivity to all the isolated microorganisms

Les rickettsioses : aspects bacteriologiques et particularites diagnostiques

Les Rickettsies sont des cocobacilles a Gram negatif intracellulaires obligatoires de la famille des Rickettsiaceae qui ne comprend actuellement que deux genres : Rickettsia et Orientia. Les especes du genre Rickettsia sont divisees en deux groupes : le groupe des fievres boutonneuses (SFG) et le groupe des typhus (TG). Les rickettsies sont en general transmises par les tiques; les mites les puces et des poux. Apres piqures de l'arthropode ou penetration cutanee a travers des lesions de grattage; la cellule epitheliale constitue la principale cible de la bacterie. Au niveau du site d'inoculation; une escarre noiratre va apparaitre puis la bacterie pourra gagner la circulation lymphatique puis sanguine entrainant une rickettsiemie. La bacterie va atteindre alors plusieurs organes dont la peau avec une eruption; le poumon; le cerveau; le coeur; etc. Les rickettsies sont des bacteries intracellulaires strictes; le diagnostic des rickettsioses est souvent confirme par la serologie qui reste le moyen le plus accessible au laboratoire de routine. La technique de la micro-immunofluorescence constitue la methode de reference. Pour la detection et l'identification des rickettsies; differents types de prelevements peuvent etre utilises tels que les biopsies cutanees au niveau de l'escarre ou de l'eruption cutanee; les prelevements de sang total ou meme les tiques ou les puces.L'isolement de ces bacteries est reserve aux laboratoires pouvant realiser la culture cellulaire. La PCR ciblant differents genes; est une methode sensible et specifique