The features found in our study are typical of pneumococcal carriage in developing countries. We believe that results from longitudinal modeling of carriage based on these extensive data can have wide geographic application.

Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that serotype-independent protective immunity is stimulated in young children by previous pneumococcal carriage and reduces the rate of new colonization. This immunity has the potential to modulate the development of carriage, irrespective of the colonizing serotype, and to do so starting early in infancy.

Diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) causing pathogens with their sensitivity to different antibiotics was performed with a total of 96 samples from both male (n=31; 32.3%) and female (n=65; 67.7%) of different age groups. Out of 96 urine samples, 55 (57.3%) were found positive after culturing in MacConkey agar plates. The percent distribution of positive cases against collected samples was higher for female (67%) than male (32%). However, female and male at the reproductive age of 16-30 years were more susceptible to UTI. A total of 55 bacterial isolates were identified by conventional methods and their antibiotic sensitivity was tested using MuellerHinton agar plates. The predominant isolates were Escherichia coli (34.5%), Klebsiella sp. (18.2%) and Staphylococci (20.0%). The sensitivity pattern for most of the isolated organisms showed 50% and/or higher sensitivity to imipenem, azithromycin and cephalexin, except Staphylococci (only 9.09% to azithromycin).

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/dujbs.v21i1.9750 DUJBS 2012 21(1): 105-107

The emergence of antimicrobial resistant Enterococcus spp., a leading cause of untreatable nosocomial infection, in food animals and dissemination to humans is a public health concern. The study was conducted to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance, and virulence characteristics of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium in food animals and meats in Bangladesh. Enterococcus spp., were con rmed using sodA gene speci c PCR, and antimicrobial resistance and virulence properties were characterized by PCR. Enterococcus spp. were recovered from 57% of the collected samples (n=201/352). Farm samples yielded signi cantly higher (p≤0.05) prevalence (62%) compared to retail meat samples (41%) and E. faecalis (52%) was most frequently isolated species. High proportions of isolates exhibited resistance to tetracycline (74%), erythromycin (65%) and cipro oxacin (34%). Fifty-one isolates were vancomycin non-susceptible enterococci (VNSE), of which forty-seven were MDR and 20 were linezolid resistant, a last line drug for VNSE.Virulence factors such as gelatinase (gelE), aggregation factor (asa1) and sex pheromone (cpd) were detected along with vancomycin resistance gene (vanA, vanB and vanC2/C3) in VNSE isolates. The high prevalence of MDR enterococci in food animals and retail meats may lead to infection in consumers with concomitant reduced therapeutic options available for treatment.