Frequency and Antimicrobial Resistance of Salmonella paratyphi C in Patients With Suspected Typhoid Fever

Abstract

This study was carried out in Khartoum State during the period December 2008- January 2009 to determine frequency and antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella paraptyphi C. Patients suspected to have typhoid fever. The patients attended to Khartoum, Omdurma and Khartoum North Teaching Hospitals and Dar-Alsalam camp were enrolled. A total of 350 stool specimens were collected. The specimens were cultured in selenite F broth and xylose lysine deoxycholoate to isolate the causative agent. The identification of the isolates was done by colonial morphology, Gram’s stain and biochemical reaction using API 20 E. Antimicrobial resistance of each isolate was determined by modified Kirby – Bauer disk diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of tetracycline and ceftazidime were determined by E. test. The result revealed that Salmonella paratyphi C was recovered from 6 specimens. Study on antimicrobial susceptibility test showed that the resistance rate of S. paratyphi C was (100%) to ceftazidime, tetracycline and chloramphenicol, (0%) to ciprofloxacin and Gentamicin. MIC was found to (3-30μg) for tetracycline and (> 240 μg) for ceftazidime. MIC50 and MIC90 of tetracycline were 30 μg both and of ceftazidime were (> 240) each. The study concluded that S. paratyphi C exist in suspected cases with and the resistance to traditional antibiotics like choloramphemicol and tetracycline was very high (100%).