African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 2 (10), pp. 374-378, October 2003

 Full Length Research Paper

Antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Abia State of Nigeria

CHIGBU, CHINWE .O. AND EZERONYE, O.U.

Department of Biological Science, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author; E-mail: ezeronyeob@yahoo.com.

Accepted 26 September 2003

A total of 70 ear and nasal swab samples collected from 35 persons, 16-hospital population and 19 non-hospital population was examined for presence of Staphylococcus aureus. Eighty percent of the population studied were found to be carriers of S. aureus. Of the 28 positive cases, 35.7% were carriers of S. aureus in both the ear and nostrils, while 14.3% and 50.0% had it only in their ear and nostrils, respectively. The S. aureus isolates varied in their antibiotic susceptibility pattern when tested for their sensitivity to 16 antibiotics. Eighty percent of the isolates were resistant to more than one antimicrobial agent. All the isolates showed resistance to nalidixic acid and 100% sensitivity to rifampicin.

Key words: Staphylococcus aureus, antibiotic resistance, inhibition zone diameter.