Aim: To survey the antibiotic resistance pattern of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) strains isolated from Bhutanese population.
Methods: We isolated 111 H. pylori strains from the gastric mucosa of H. pylori-infected patients in Bhutan in 2010. The Epsilometer test was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of amoxicillin (AMX), clarithromycin (CLR), metronidazole (MNZ), levofloxacin (LVX), ciprofloxacin (CIP), and tetracycline (TET).
Results: Nineteen of the isolated H. pylori strains were susceptible to all antibiotics tested. The isolated strains showed the highest rate of antibiotic resistance to MNZ (92/111, 82.9%). Among the 92 MNZ-resistant strains, 74 strains (80.4%) showed high-level resistance (MIC ≥ 256 μg/mL). Three strains were resistance to LVX (2.7%). These strains were also resistance to CIP. None of the strains showed resistance to CLR, AMX and TET.
Conclusion: CLR-based triple therapy is a more effective treatment approach over MNZ-based triple therapy for H. pylori infection in Bhutan.
Keywords: Bhutan; Drug resistance; Helicobacter pylori.