Abstract:
This study investigated the rate of sensitivity of multi-drug resistant P. aeruginosa from various environmental samples and clinical specimen to different antibiotics. A total of 135 isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were obtained from both clinical specimen and environmental samples. Isolated pure cultures of bacteria were subjected to various morphology and biochemical tests. The antibiotic susceptibility test was performed using disc diffusion method. Twelve (12) clinical antibiotics (Augmentin (Aug), Cloxacillin (Cxc), Gentamicin (Gen), Amikacin (Amk), Ceftazidime (Caz), Cefuroxime (Crx), Cetriazone (Ctr), Ciprofloxacin (Cpr), Ofloxacin (Ofl), Erythromycin (Ery), Imipenem (Imp) and Meropenem (Mer)) were tested against P. aeruginosa. Plasmids were extracted by the Alkaline Phosphate Method. Electrophoresis of the DNA was carried out on a 0.8% agarose gel. The highest isolation rates of P. aeruginosa strains was found in air (74%) followed by ear swab (62%), wound swab (42%), soil (40%), waste water (30%) and
urinary tract (22%). Among the antibiotics, the most effective were meropenem (carbepenems) and amikacin (aminoglycosides) with their resistant rate as 38.52% and 48.89% respectively. The resistance rates of P.aeruginosa in the other antibiotics tested were in the following order: carbapenems (imipenem) 53.33%, quinolones (ciprofloxacin) 62.22%, aminoglycosides (gentamycin) 69.63%, quinolones (ofloxacine) 73.33%, penicillin (Augumentin) 91.11%, cephalosporin (ceftazidime) 94.81% and macrolide(erythromycin) 97.04%. Cephalosporin (cefurozine) and (ceftriazone) recorded 98.52 % and 99.26 % respectively while penicillin (cloxacillin) was least with 100% resistant. Fifteen isolates were resistant to all the twelve antibiotics used. The plasmid analyses revealed that there were detectable plasmids in 13(86.67%) out of the 15 selected multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates. In conclusion, there is an alarming increase in the prevalence of mutidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa in our environment.
