Vibrionaceae from cases of acute diarrhoea and their antimicrobial sensitivity pattern - a five year prospective...

Over a five year period, stool samples were screened for Vibrionaceae from cases of acute diarrhoea, to study their isolation rate and their antimicrobial sensitivity pattern. All the isolates were identified by standard laboratory techniques. A total of 323 species belonging to Vibrionaceae were isolated from 4492 stool samples tested over five year period (1996-2000), giving a positivity rate of 7.2%. Maximum isolation was during the months of May to August (62.5%). Out of 323 isolates, Vibrio spp. comprised 252 and 93.3% of them were Vibrio cholerae O1 biotype El Tor. Aeromonas spp. were isolated from 71 samples and 64.8% of them were A. hydrophila. V. cholerae showed 86.8% sensitivity to amikacin followed by 73.8% to cefotaxime. Tetracycline sensitivity was only 39.6%. Aeromonas spp. also showed maximum sensitivity to amikacin (70.4%). Isolation of Vibrio spp. have increased over the years, whereas Aeromonas spp. have decreased. Amikacin sensitivity has remained within 70-80% over the years, cefotaxime sensitivity has increased and tetracycline sensitivity has decreased.