PREVALENCE OF SHIGELLA, SALMONELLA AND CMPYLOBACTER SPECIES AND THEIR SUSCEPTIBILITY PATTERS AMONG UNDER FIVE CHILDREN WITH DIARRHEA IN HAWASSA TOWN, SOUTH ETHIOPIA

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Diarrhea is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in under-five children indeveloping countries including Ethiopia. Therefore, up-to-date data on etiologic agent and susceptibilitypattern are important for the management of bacterial diarrhea in under-five children, which was the mainobjective of this study.METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Hawassa Adare Hospital and Millennium Health Centerfrom June 6 to October 28, 2011. A total of 158 under-five children with diarrhea were selected usingconvenient sampling technique. Demographic and clinical data were collected using questionnaire. Fecalsamples were collected and processed for bacterial isolation, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing followingstandard bacteriological techniques.RESULT: A total of 158 fecal samples were collected from 81(51.3%) males and 77(48.7%) females of under-five children with diarrhea. Of the 158 fecal samples, 35(22.2%) bacterial pathogens were isolated. Theisolated bacteria were Campylobacter species, 20 (12.7%), Shigella species, 11 (7.0%), and Salmonella species,4 (2.5%). The majority of the isolates were sensitive to Chloramphenicol, Ciprofloxacin, Nalidixic acid andCotrimoxazol and high rate of drug resistance was observed against Erythromycin and Amoxicillin.CONCLUSIONS: The finding of this study indicates that Campylobacter species were the predominantetiologies and the presence of bacterial isolates resistant to the commonly prescribed drugs for treatingdiarrhea in children. Therefore, periodic monitoring of etiologic agent with their drug resistant pattern isessential in the management of diarrhea in children.