Epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance of enteric pathogens in Dhahira Region, Oman

ABSTRACT

We reviewed the monthly laboratory surveillance reports and hospital laboratory database in Dhahira region, Oman. All patients for whom a stool sample examination request was made from 1[st] January 2002 to 31[st] December 2006 [5 years] were included in the study. Antimicrobial resistance pattern was studied for 2 years period. The cultures were done using standard laboratory procedures and antibiotic sensitivity by Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method. Of the 85,210 stool samples examined, 18% showed positive result for one or more parasitic infection. The most common were E. hystolytica [7.1%], Giardia [7.9%] and E. coli [1.9%]. A total of 7,830 cultures were done, among them 11.4% showed positive result for bacterial pathogen. The most common were Salmonella [5.8%] and Shigella species [4.4%]. The antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of 265 bacterial pathogens were analyzed. Of the Shigella strains, 71.8% were resistant to trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole [SXT] and 39.4% to ampicillin and 32.4% to tetracycline. Salmonella and E. coli strains were frequently resistant to ampicillin [12.5% and 47.7%, respectively]. This study provides important information on the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance pattern of enteric pathogens in Dhahira region population. SXT, ampicillin, and tetracycline are the drugs commonly associated with resistance