ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Bacterial infection in sickle cell anaemic patients is a major cause of mortality and requires proper treatment with appropriate antibiotics. However, continue defiant of these infections causing pathogens to many antibiotics and inadequate screening methods in overburden health care facilities such as our in Kano, Nigeria necessitates the conduct of this study. A research was therefore conducted to isolate, characterize and test for antimicrobial susceptibility of bacteraemia-causing pathogens from febrile children with and without sickle cell disease in Kano, Nigeria. METHOD: A total of 225 venous blood samples from suspected sickle cell anaemic children attending three selected hospitals within Kano metropolis were collected and screened for sickle cell disease, followed by blood culture using automated blood culture system. The bacteria isolated from confirmed febrile SCD and non-SCD children were characterized using microscopic, biochemical and serological techniques. Their susceptibility to commonly used antibiotics was tested using disc diffusion method. RESULTS: Of the 225 blood specimens screened, 68 (30.22%) were SCD positive, with the highest percentage (16%) among subjects within 1-2 years of age. A total of 11 genera of bacteria were isolated from both SCD and non SCD positive bloods, with Salmonella typhi having highest occurring rate in SCD positive children 27 (39.71%), followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae 10(14.71%), Salmonella Group B 9(13.24%), Staphylococcus aureus 4 (5.88%), and Escherichia coli 3 (4.41%). Majority of the isolates from SCD children 59 (86.76%) were highly susceptible to ciprofloxacin followed by cefuroxime 45 (66.18%), gentamicin 38 (55.88%), ceftriaxone 30 (44.12%), augmentin 39 (57.35%), ampicillin 25 (36.77%) and co-trimoxazole (22.06%). CONCLUSION: Bacteraemia in SCD confirmed children in the three hospitals are caused by a combination of 11 genera of bacteria. The lesser rate of bacteraemia was found in non-SCD children. Resistance to commonly used antibiotics is on increase, but treatment with ciprofloxacin and some 3rd generation cephalosporin are still promising.