Molecular identification of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus in Khartoum teaching hospital

Antimicrobial resistance has become a great public health problem worldwide and multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus has been widely reported. The presence or absence of methicillin resistance gene [mecA] in 48 clinical wound isolates of S. aureus was examined by the polymerase chain reaction [PCR]. The results were analyzed in parallel to the disk diffusion method by oxacillin [1 microg]. Polymerase chain reaction was amplified at a sequence of mecA gene at 1319 bp. Nine [18.75%] out of the 48 isolates and were found to be identical to those of disk diffusion test. All strains were studied for their susceptibility to traditionally used antibiotics. The results revealed that multi-drug resistance was common among MRSA strains. The drug of choice for the treatment of MRSA and MSSA was vancomycin. The study concluded that multiple antibiotic resistance was common, and the PCR assay can be used to confirm MRSA infection

Faecal contamination of feeding bottles contents, among artificially fed children

This study was carried out to investigate the bacterial contamination of feeding bottles contents in artificially fed children presenting with diarrhoea at the Paediatric outpatient clinic in Khartoum Hospital. Hundred bottle fed infants presenting with diarrhoea were included in the study. Specimens were collected from the contents of the feeding bottles and the faeces of children. Hundred and ten bacterial species were isolated from the contents. E. coli was the commonest isolate [33 [30%]]. Different other bacterial species were also isolated with very high count [1X10[6] - > 15X10[5]/ml]. Twenty one enteric pathogens were isolated from the stool specimens [Enteropathogenic E. coli [7] and Shigella species [14]]. The antibiotic sensitivity of the E. coli and Shigella species showed high resistance to co-trimoxazole [57.5%, 53.3% respectively] and to co-amoxiclav [85% - 53.3% respectively]. Awareness to the hazards of the feeding bottles among the community should be raised and breast feeding should be encouraged

Antibiotic susceptibility and plasmid profiles of shigella species in Sudan

This study was carried out to determine the antibiotic susceptibility, plasmid profile and conjugative abilities of Shigella species isolated from different towns in Sudan during 2005-2007. Stool specimens were collected in Carry Blair transport medium from patients presenting with diarrhea from different sites in Sudan between the years 2005-2007. All specimens were inoculated on Mac Conkey' s agar and Xylose Lysine Dioxycholate [XLD] [Mast group Ltd. Merseyside UK]. Bacteria was isolated and subjected to different antibiotics to detect sensitivity and transference of resistance. One hundred and fourteen Shigella isolates were included in the study. Eighty [70.1%] were Shigella flexeneri representing the dominant isolate, followed by 20 [17.5%] isolates of Shigella dysenteriae, 9 [7.9%] Shigella sonnei and 5 [4.5%] Shigella boydii. Most of the isolates showed resistance to streptomycin [70%], tetracycline [52%] and co-trimoxazole [43%]. They were highly sensitive to norfioxacin [97%], nalidixic acid [95%], gentamicin [89%] and chloramphenicol [77%]. Multi-drug resistance to two or more antibiotics was apparent in most of the isolates [64, 56.1%]. Fifty nine of the resistant Shigella isolates were studied for their ability to transfer resistance to the donor E. coli K[12] by conjugation. Of these, six were able to transfer resistance to streptomycin, tetracycline and co-trimoxazole. Extraction of the plasmid DNA from both donors and trans-conjugants showed a single type of plasmid with a molecular weight of 4.6 Kb. The transfer of multi-drug resistant plasmids and the emergence of antibiotic Shigella and other bacterial species should raise the awareness and the seriousness of the uncontrolled [unsupervised] use of antibiotics in the medical practice

Population and persistence of zag-1 phage and Cowper Rhizobium in two sterile soils

Zag-1 phage was isolated from the rhizosphere of cowpea plants grown in fields in Sharqia, Egypt. The existence and propagation of cowpea Rhizobium and its Zag-1 phage were studied in clay and sandy soils. The maximum bacterial counts were recorded in clay soil after seven weeks of incubation compared with eight weeks for sandy soil. The infectivity of Zag-1 phage persisted for five and ten weeks in clay and sandy soils, respectively. Testing the roles of Zag-1 phage on nodulation and growth of cowpea showed significant alterations. Zag-1 phage inhibited nodule formation in plants grown in sterile potted clay soils but with only a reduction for those grown in sandy soil. Appreciable reduction was obtained for the growth and total nitrogen content of plants grown in both soils