Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is globally recognized as an important pathogen associated with both hospital and community acquired infections. Studies on antibiotic resistance profile of S. aureus and carriage of mecA gene in methicillin resistant isolates from patients attending selected general hospitals in Abuja Municipal, Nigeria was carried out. Three hundred and sixty (360) clinical samples (200 urine, 50 high vaginal swabs, 60 ear swab and 40 wound swabs) were collected from Asokoro General Hospital (AGH), Garki Hospital Abuja (GHA) and Wuse General Hospital (WGH); and S. aureus was isolated and identified using standard microbiological methods. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of the isolates was carried out using disc diffusion method. Molecular detection of mecA gene in methicillin resistant isolates was carried out using the polymerase chain reaction method. The total occurrence of S. aureuswas 15.3% (55/360); and the occurrence in relation to the selected hospitals was high in GHA (22.7%) and low in AGH (10.3%). The occurrence of S. aureus was highest in wound swabs in all the hospitals in the order: GHA (47.1%) > AGH (40%) > WGH (35.7%). The isolates from all the hospitals were highly (≥ 50.0%) resistant to all the antibiotics tested; but moderately (≤ 40.0%) to gentamicin and levofloxacin. The occurrence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) isolates in the selected hospitals was high in GHA (27%) but low in AGH (12%). Of the 32 oxacillin resistant isolates, mecA gene was detected in 30 (93.8%). The S. aureus isolates were less resistant to gentamicin and levofloxacin and most of the oxacillin resistant isolates harbored mecA gene.

Background: Freshly consumed vegetables are considered to have more nutritional value than cooked ones. However, they are a potential source of foodborne illnesses due to possible microbial contamination, this poses safety threat.Objectives: This study was carried out to determine the bacteriological quality of ready-to-eat vegetables sold in Mohammadu Gumi market, Kaduna and to determine the antibiotics resistance pattern of the bacteria isolates.Methods: A total of 40 samples of cabbage were collected. Gram staining, growth on selective media and biochemical tests were carried out to identify the isolates. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done using the Kirby-Bauer agar disc diffusion method. Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates were detected with the use of cefoxitin disc agar diffusion test.Results: A total of 46 bacteria isolates were obtained with a total colony count range from 4 – 9 x 106CFU/ml. The following bacteria were isolated:   aureus (41.3%), Escherichia coli (28.3%), Salmonella spp (19.6%),  Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8.7%) and Serratia spp (2.2%). The result of antimicrobial susceptibility test showed thatthe isolates were highly susceptible to ofloxacin: Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia spp (100%), E. coli (92.3%) and Salmonella spp (87.5%). The isolates were all resistant to penicillin and ampicillin while 89.5% of the Staphylococcus aureus isolates were phenotypically methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus.Conclusion: This study showed that the vegetables (cabbage) were highly contaminated with antibiotic resistant bacteria, this can be a source of infection to the consumers and a potential means of transmitting multidrug resistant bacteria strains in the community.

This study investigated the antimicrobial resistance profile and presence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes in Salmonella typhi from patients attending selected general hospitals in Abuja municipal, Nigeria. Four hundred stool samples from patients with suspected typhoid fever were collected from Asokoro General Hospital Abuja (AGH), Garki Hospital Abuja (GHA), Maitama General Hospital Abuja (MGHA) and Wuse General Hospital Abuja (WGHA) and S. typhi was isolated and identified using standard microbiological methods. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the isolates was carried out using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) method. Molecular detection of PMQR genes in the ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates was carried out using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method. The overall occurrence of the isolates was 13.3% (53/400), with the highest hospital-related occurrence at WGHA (18.0%). The occurrence was highest at age 21-30yrs in AGHA (20.0%), GHA (33.3%) and WGHA (45.0%). The occurrence was higher in females at AGHA (12.7%) and GHA (16.0%); but higher in males at MGHA (11.4%) and WGHA (18.2%). Resistance to ciprofloxacin was the least at 30.2%, distributed as follows: AGHA (20.0%), GHA (35.7%), MGHA (36.4%) and WGHA (27.8%). The most common resistance phenotype was: NA-S-XT-AMC-TE-CRO-C-CN with overall occurrence of 9.4% (5/53) observed in AGH (10.0%), GHA (16.7%) and MGHA (18.2%) but not in WGHA. All (100%) isolates were multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) isolates, with MAR indices above 0.2; and the commonest MAR index of 0.6 (30.0%) in AGHA, 0.8 (35.7%) in GHA; 0.8 (45.6%) in MGHA, and was 0.7 (38.9%) in WGHA. Multidrug resistance (MDR) was the commonest at 96.2% (51/53), with occurrences in the selected hospitals as follows: AGHA (90.0%), GHA (100.0%) and MGHA (100.0%) and WGHA (94.4%).The PMQR genes detected had overall frequency in the order: aac(6′)-Ib-cr (50.0%) >qnrB (37.5%) >qnrS (18.8%); qnrS was absent in AGHA and WGHA. The genes co-existed with one another with the qnrB+ aac(6′)-Ib-cr combination, present in isolates from all the hospitals, being the most common at (31.3%). Ciprofloxacin was the most effective antibiotic against the isolates; most isolates were MAR with prior exposure to antibiotics; most isolates were MDR and the ciprofloxacin-resistant isolatesharbored qnrS, qnrB and aac(6′)-Ib-cr PMQR genes, with aac(6′)-Ib-cr being the most prevalent.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli) is common worldwide; and its successful treatment using antibiotics is limited by acquisition of resistance by the bacteria. This study investigated the occurrence of plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes in ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli from urine of patients with suspected cases of UTIs attending Garki Hospital Abuja (GHA), Nigeria. A total of 8 confirmed ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli was screened for carriage of PMQR genes using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. The occurrences of the PMQR genes detected were in the order: aac-(6′)-Ib-cr (87.5%) > qnrB (50.0%) > qnrS (37.5%) > oqxAB (12.5%) > qnrA(0.0%). qnrB and qnrS did not exist alone, but in combination with other genes; aac-(6′)-Ib-crexisted both alone and in combination with others; the most prevalent patterns of existence were aac-(6′)-Ib-cr alone and aac-(6′)-Ib-cr + qnrB + qnrS at 25.0% each. This study has shown that the ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli harbored aac-(6′)-Ib-cr, qnrB, qnrS and oqxAB PMQR genes, with aac-(6′)-Ib-cr being the most prevalent. The genes were present either alone or in combination with one another. This has implication for the clinical application of fluoroquinolones to treat UTI in the study location and environs.