Evaluation of Plasmid Mediated Drugs Resistance among Wound Bacterial Infection Obtained from Patients Attending some Hospitals in Kano State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was carried out to evaluate the plasmid mediated drugs resistance among wound bacteria isolates obtained from (352 swabs specimens) patients attending some hospitals in Kano State (National Orthopaedic Hospital Dala, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Infectious Diseases Hospital, Bichi General Hospital and Wudil General Hospital). Swab specimens were obtained aseptically using the randomized sampling method and cultured on Blood and MacConkey agar media and incubated aerobically and anaerobically for 24 hours. Result showed that two hundred and twelve (212, 60.23%) out of 352 harbors some bacteria, which consist of six different species (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptocoocus pyogenes) as isolated from wound swabs specimens. S. aureus (39%) and S. pyogenes (7%) showed the highest and the lowest prevalences respectively. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was done using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion technique on Mueller-Hinton agar, where 140 (66%) isolates were susceptible while 72 (34%) isolates were resistant. Bacteria isolates exhibited the highest resistance to Cefixime, Azithromycin and Erythromycin and least resistance to Ciprofloxacin (most effective/active) among the antibiotics used. The resistant isolates were subjected to curing experiment. Plasmid detection and isolation showed that out of 72 resistant isolates, 49 contain plasmids which accounts for 68%. After plasmid curing and second sensitivity test, 38 (78%) isolates that were initially resistant becomesusceptible to the same antibiotics used. Hence, post plasmid-curing sensitivity test revealed increased susceptibility pattern of isolates to the previously used antibiotics. This indicates that plasmid-borne multidrug resistant gene had been denatured by the sodium dodecyl sulfate used as the curing agent. Therefore, this study justifies the need to encourage infection control, and proper treatment to prevent the spread and re-emergence of plasmid-mediated drugs resistant bacteria.