A Retrospective Study of Multidrug Resistant Salmonella typhi in Nigeria

Abstract

Multi drug resistant Salmonella typhi are strains of S.typhi that can withstand the therapeutic effects of two or more antibiotics, mostly the first line antibiotics, which include Chloramphenicol, Cotrimoxazole, Streptomycin, Tetracycline, Sulfonamides, Trimethoprim and Ampicillin. This study is basically carried out to expose the detrimental effects of this menace (Multi drug resistance) among most of the populace in Nigeria. Susceptibility tests using various test antibiotics were carried out on Salmonella typhi isolated from various clinical samples in Nigeria. The data obtained from the states studied revealed that most of the Salmonella typhi isolated were 100% resistant to most of the first line antibiotics. All S.typhi isolated in all the states studied were highly susceptible to Ciprofloxacin, except in Niger where 90% of the isolates were resistant to this antibiotic. This study is therefore intended to create awareness on the menace of multidrug resistant Salmonella typhi and how the problem can be controlled through measures such as; the production of new antibiotics and vaccines, the acquisition of modern health facilities and techniques for easy detection of multidrug resistant strains and the development of adequate drug storage facilities.