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Multidrug resistant Salmonella typhi in Calicut, south India

J Sudarsana1, L Nair, K I Devi

  • 1Department of Microbiology, Medical College, Calicut.

Insights

This study found that most multi-drug resistant Salmonella Typhi strains were resistant to chloramphenicol and ampicillin. Resistance transfer experiments confirmed the presence of R plasmids in these Salmonella Typhi isolates.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Antimicrobial Resistance

Background:

  • Salmonella Typhi (S. typhi) is a significant cause of typhoid fever globally.
  • The emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains poses a major public health challenge.
  • Monitoring antimicrobial susceptibility patterns is crucial for effective treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of S. typhi strains isolated over a one-year period.
  • To investigate the mechanisms of resistance, including plasmid-mediated resistance.
  • To characterize the phage types of MDR S. typhi isolates.

Main Methods:

  • Antimicrobial susceptibility testing using the tube dilution method to determine Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs).
  • Resistance transfer experiments using Escherichia coli K12 as a recipient to identify R plasmids.
  • Phage typing to classify S. typhi isolates.

Main Results:

  • Eighty S. typhi strains were analyzed for susceptibility to eight antibiotics.
  • MDR S. typhi strains exhibited high resistance to chloramphenicol and ampicillin (MIC up to 1000 µg/ml).
  • Significant MICs were observed for sulphamethoxazole (800 µg/ml) and trimethoprim (160 µg/ml).
  • R plasmids were confirmed through resistance transfer experiments.
  • Most MDR S. typhi isolates belonged to phage type E1.

Conclusions:

  • The study highlights the prevalence of MDR S. typhi strains resistant to common antibiotics like chloramphenicol and ampicillin.
  • R plasmids play a role in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance in S. typhi.
  • Phage type E1 appears to be associated with multi-drug resistance in these isolates, informing surveillance and control efforts.

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