Campylobacter Antimicrobial Drug Resistance among Humans in Ilorin, Nigeria.

Background: Though Campylobacter enteritis is a self-limiting disease, antimicrobial agents are recommended for extraintestinal infections and for treating immunocompromised persons. Erythromycin and ciprofloxacin are drugs of choice. The rate of resistance to these drugs is increasing in both developed and developing countries thus compromising their use in therapy. Continued surveillance of resistance pattern is necessary to guide rational use of antimicrobial agents in therapy when such are indicated. Objective: This study aims at determining the resistance of Campylobacter jejuni/coli to common antimicrobial agents. Methods: Campylobacter jejuni/coli recovered from cases of childhood diarrhoea in Ilorin, Nigeria were studied. All the organisms were isolated by standard techniques using the Butzler-type medium and they were preserved in 15% glycerol cryopreserve medium. The in-vitro antibiotic susceptibility testing for all organisms was performed by employing the Kirby- Bauer disc diffusion method. Production of beta-lactamase by the isolates was determined by the starch paper technique. Results: High level resistance to cotrimoxazole, ceftriaxone, and ampicillin were 96%, 84% and 68% respectively. On the other hand none of the isolates had any evidence of resistance to erythromycin and ciprofloxacin. Only one of the 25 isolates tested produced beta-lactamase. Conclusion: Campylobacter jejuni/coli are susceptible to firstline dugs, ery thromycin and ciprofloxacin. However high level resistance to other agents portends a possibility of transfer of acquired resistance and the need for continuous surveillance of resistance pattern Keywords: Campylobacter enteritis, Antimicrobial agents, Resistance, Surveillance. Nigerian Medical Journal Vol. 48 (3) 2007: pp. 75-7