Antibiotic Susceptibility Profile of E. coli Serotype 0157:H7 in ABUTH, Zaria, Nigeria

The emergence and re-emergence of new strains of microorganisms with high virulent traits and resistant to even new generation antibiotics are significant limiting factor to patients’ recovery in clinical settings. This has indeed created a lot of economic burdens and loss of productive activities at work places especially in developing countries. This study was conducted to evaluate the presence of E. coli serotype O157:H7 in Zaria metropolis and the antibiotics resistance pattern of the isolates. Out of the 150 samples submitted for bacteriological diagnosis at the Medical Microbiology Laboratory of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Shika, Zaria, Nigeria, for the period of 6months (March - August, 2011), 60% of the isolates obtained were identified as E. coli. The incidence of E. coli serotype O157:H7 was 36.7% while the antibiotic susceptibility profile of the isolates to 14 antibiotic commonly prescribed at ABUTH showed that the isolates were 70% resistant to Ceftazidine, 60% to Tetracycline, Ampicillin-Sulbactam, Amoxicillin-Clavulanic acid, 40% to Amoxicillin, Cefuroxime, Nalidixic acid and Cefalexin, 30% to Nitrofurantoin, 20% to Ofloxacin, Chloramphenicol and Ciprofloxacin, 10% to Ceftriaxone and all the isolates were sensitive to Gentamicin. We conclude that there is an incidence of E. coli serotype O157:H7 with varying resistant pattern in Zaria metropolis which has influenced the results obtained from clinical samples in ABUTH. This calls for significant antibiotic surveillance and good hygiene practices to prevent food/water born outbreak of diarrhea associated with E. coli serotype O157:H7, as the identified serotype has been implicated in several deaths around the globe.