Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC) and Salmonella Species Recovered from Diarrheal Patients in Selected Rural Communities of the Amathole District Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Luyanda Msolo; Benson C Iweriebor; Anthony I Okoh

doi:10.2147/IDR.S269219

Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles of Diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC) and Salmonella Species Recovered from Diarrheal Patients in Selected Rural Communities of the Amathole District Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Infect Drug Resist. 2020 Dec 22:13:4615-4626. doi: 10.2147/IDR.S269219. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Luyanda Msolo^{1

2}, Benson C Iweriebor³, Anthony I Okoh^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ SAMRC Microbial Water Quality Monitoring Centre, University of Fort Hare, Alice, Eastern Cape, South Africa.
² Applied and Environmental Microbiology Research Group, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Fort Hare, Alice, Eastern Cape, South Africa.
³ Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Ga-rankuwa, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa.

Abstract

Purpose: The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria remains as one of the major impediments towards the prevention and treatment of microbial infections and continues to be a serious threat to medicine. Henceforth, this study aimed at elucidating the antimicrobial resistance profiles of diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC) and Salmonella species recovered from diarrheal patients in selected rural communities of the Amathole District Municipality (ADM), Eastern Cape Province, South Africa (SA).

Methods: The antimicrobial resistance profiles of diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC) and Salmonella isolates were evaluated using antimicrobial susceptibility tests and the relevant antimicrobial resistance factors were elucidated by the Polymerase Chain Reaction technique.

Results: A sum of 324 diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC) and 62 Salmonella isolates were recovered from diarrheal stool specimens collected amongst diarrheal patients admitted in medical facilities/health-care centers within the ADM in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Multiple antimicrobial resistance index mean values of 0.7 and 0.5 for DEC and Salmonella isolates, respectively, were observed in this study, indicating that these isolates were from sources where antimicrobials were frequently used. The antimicrobial resistance factors ampC, bla_TEM, SulI and II, tet A and aadA were detected among antimicrobial-resistant DEC pathotypes and Salmonella isolates recovered in this study.

Conclusion: The occurrence of the multiple antimicrobial-resistant DEC and Salmonella isolates with the relevant antimicrobial resistance factors in this study suggests a portentous human health threat associated with diarrhea and a major deterrent in medicine.

Keywords: Salmonella; antimicrobials; diarrheagenic E. coli; resistance.