Prevalence and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Salmonella Species among Food Handlers in Khartoum- State (Sudan)

Aims/Objectives: To screen the prevalence of Salmonella fecal carriage among healthy foodhandlers and to identify the common species of Salmonella among study population and its antibacterial susceptibility in Khartoum state by taking stool samples. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Khartoum state, Sudan, from January 2009 to December 2009. Methodology: Stool samples were collected, processed and cultured on suitable bacterial culture media. Presence of colonies resembling (non-lactose fermenting) Salmonella species were further studied to identify the bacterium by using appropriate biochemical tests.Confirmation and serotyping of isolates were done by using Salmonella antisera. Antibacterial susceptibility test for common antibacterial drugs were also studied. Results: A total of 387 stool samples collected from apparently healthy food handlers werestudied. Salmonella fecal carriage among food handlers was 17 (4.4%) and the highest prevalence was noted in Umbada locality (5.1%). Salmonella Paratyphi B was the commonest 14 (3.6%), followed by Salmonella Typhi 2(0.5%) and Salmonella Cholerasuis 1 (0.3%). Our study revealed that 141 (36.4%) of food handlers were illiterate, 29 (7.5%) werepreschool, 134 (34.6%) were elementary school graduates 68 (17.6%) and 15 (3.9%) university graduates. Forty two (10.9%) of the studied cases mentioned that, they sometimes wash their hands by soap after defecation, while, 9 (2.3%) never washed theirhands. The study also, revealed that 3 (17.6%) of positive food handlers have had history ofprevious typhoid or gastroenteritis. The study demonstrated that Salmonella species isolated were sensitive to co-trimoxazole, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, amoxicillin/ clavulanic acid, ceftriaxone and cefuroxime. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the presence of considerable number of Salmonella fecal carriage among food handlers in Khartoum state. Most of them were illiterate and had poor compliance of hand washing after toilet use. Study also revealed that isolated Salmonella species were highly susceptibility to the common first line antibiotics used in Sudan.

Prevalence of Fecal Carriage of CTX-M-15 Beta-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli in Healthy Children from a Rural Andean Village in Venezuela

OBJECTIVES: Antimicrobial resistant extended-spectrum-β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-PE) have been shown to be present in healthy communities. This study examined healthy children from the rural Andean village of Llano del Hato, Mérida, Venezuela, who have had little or no antibiotic exposure to determine the prevalence of fecal carriage of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-EC). METHODS: A total of 78 fecal samples were collected in healthy children aged from 1 to 5 years. ESBL-EC were selected in MacConkey agar plates with cefotaxime and further confirmed by the VITEK 2 system. ESBL were phenotypically detected and presence of bla genes and their variants were confirmed by molecular assays. Determination of phylogenetic groups was performed by PCR amplification. Risk factors associated with fecal carriage of ESBL-EC-positive isolates were analyzed using standard statistical methods. RESULTS: Of the 78 children studied, 27 (34.6%) carried ESBL-EC. All strains harbored the bla(CTX-M-15) allele. Of these, 8 were co-producers of bla(TEM-1), bla(TEM-5), bla(SHV-5) or bla(SHV-12). Co-resistance to aminoglycosides and/or fluoroquinolones was observed in 9 strains. 51.9% of ESBL-EC isolates were classified within phylogroup A. A significant, positive correlation was found between age (≥2.5 – ≤5 years), food consumption patterns and ESBL-EC fecal carriage. CONCLUSION: This is the first study describing the high prevalence of fecal carriage of ESBL-EC expressing CTX-M-15- among very young, healthy children from a rural Andean village in Venezuela with scarce antibiotic exposure, underlining the importance of this population as a reservoir.

Fecal carriage of extended spectrum beta Lactamase producing organisms in a teaching tertiary care hospital of north India.

Awareness of the fecal carriage of ESBL bacteria is very important for the clinicians, microbiologists, infection control practitioners and epidemiologists. Worldwide, the data shows that the presence of these bacteria pose a serious threat to both community and the hospital settings. So this study for the detection of fecal carriage of ESBL producing bacteria is pertinent for framing antibiotic and infection control policy.