Antibiotics Resistance and Plasmid Curing Studies of Staphylococcus aureus associated with Wound Infection amongst Patients Accessing University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus is a common hospital and community-acquired pathogen known to be frequently associated with wound infections, and has become important for its increasing level of resistance to antibiotics. Resistance of Staphylococcus aureus to antibiotics could be as a result of the presence of plasmids or resistance genes. The need to carry out plasmid curing of the isolates is very essential. The aim of the study was therefore to determine the antibiotics resistance pattern of staphylococcus aureus associated with wound infection amongst patients accessing university of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State, Nigeria. A total of 150 specimens from different types of wounds (traumatic wound, caesarean section, scrotal wound, surgical wounds, burns, diabetic foot, and plastic surgery) were collected from the Hospital for a period of six months and processed for isolation of S. aureus, following standard microbiological procedures. The specimens were cultured on sterile Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA) plates and incubated at 37ºC for 24 hours. Antibiotic susceptibility tests of the isolates was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method, following CLSI guidelines. Plasmid genes of the isolates were cured using acridine orange. The study showed a decrease in antibiotic resistance of 17.3% for ofloxacin (OFL), 13.8% for gentamicin (GEN) and 3.5% for both ceftazidime (CAZ) and ceftriatone (CTR) after plasmid curing, with no apparent change in resistance for the rest of the antibiotics. The results of this study represent serious public health concerns, thus emphasizing the need for proper wound management.