Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Prevalence of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus among healthy residents of ekosodin community in Benin-City, Nigeria

J O Akerele , O Obasuyi, D Omede

Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, University of Benin, Benin-City 300001, Nigeria;

For correspondence:- J Akerele Email: akerele@uniben.edu Tel:+2348076931563

Received: 9 March 2015 Accepted: 28 June 2015 Published: 30 August 2015

Citation: Akerele JO, Obasuyi O, Omede D. Prevalence of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus among healthy residents of ekosodin community in Benin-City, Nigeria. Trop J Pharm Res 2015; 14(8):1495-1499 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v14i8.24

© 2015 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in apparently healthy residents of Ekosodin community, a peri-urban settlement, in Benin City, Nigeria.

Methods: Nasal swabs collected from 200 randomly selected individuals, aged between 16 and 38 years, were used in the study. Isolates from the swabs were aseptically collected and characterized using standard and established microbiological methods, which included growth and fermentation on mannitol salt agar (MSA), colonial morphology, Gram-staining reaction and biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed on Mueller-Hinton agar (MHA) by modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method.

Results: S. aureus was isolated in 49.5 % (n = 99) of the 200 nasal swabs. Among these isolates, 43 % were from male residents and 22.2 % (n = 22) were MRSA. The MRSA isolates indicated relatively high rate of resistance to penicillins, moderate resistance to erythromycin and cefuroxime, and least resistance to gentamicin, streptomycin, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin and co-trimoxazole. There was no significant gender difference in terms of the colonization of S. aureus (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Many apparently healthy residents of Ekosodin community are nasal carriers of MSRA. The need for rational chemotherapy, routine detection and regular surveillance of MRSA to limit its spread and reduce treatment failures is vital.

Keywords: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Nasal swabs, Multidrug resistance, Rational chemotherapy, Treatment failure, Peri-urban community.