Phenotypic Characterisation of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Patients in Healthcare Institutions in Zaria Metropolis, Kaduna State, Nigeria

BACKGROUND

Staphylococcus aureus is a cosmopolitan and pathogenic microorganism associated with various diseases spectra and antimicrobial resistance of public health importance.

AIM

This study determined the phenotypic characteristics of S. aureus isolated from patients in healthcare institutions in Zaria metropolis.

STUDY DESIGN

A cross-sectional hospital-based study was carried out in 5 healthcare institutions. Four hundred and twenty clinical samples were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS

Majority of the patients (54.3%) were within the age range 21-40 years and mean age of 26.04 ± 12 years. Approximately, 70% of the respondents had history of antibiotic use prior to consultation in the hospitals and were self-prescribed, and 91.2% were outpatients. The most commonly abused antibiotics were ampicillin-cloxacillin (19.5%) and cotrimoxazole (10.0%), and the mean duration of their use was 3.5 ± 1.3 days. The detection rate for S. aureus was 10% and 5.2% for MRSA. The S. aureus isolates showed the highest frequency of resistance against ampicillin 42 (100%), followed by penicillin G 39 (92.9%) and least was to gentamicin 5 (11.9%). The frequency of resistance for the MRSA were ampicillin 22 (100%), penicillin G 21(95.5%) and least was to gentamicin 2 (9.1%). The minimum inhibitory concentrations of oxacillin were greater than 128 μg /ml.

CONCLUSION

The detection rate of S. aureus and MRSA strains are of great public health concern which requires continuous health education on rational use of antibiotics among others.