High prevalence of carriage of antibiotic-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae in children in Kampala Uganda

• Published in: International journal of antimicrobial agents Vol. 17; no. 5; pp. 395 - 400
• Main Authors: Joloba, M.L., Bajaksouzian, S., Palavecino, E., Whalen, C., Jacobs, M.R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier B.V 01.05.2001; Amsterdam Elsevier; New York, NY
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibacterial agents; Antibiotic resistance; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Biological and medical sciences; Carrier State - epidemiology; Carrier State - microbiology; Child, Preschool; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Kampala, Uganda; Male; Medical sciences; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Nasopharyngeal Diseases - epidemiology; Nasopharyngeal Diseases - microbiology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Pneumococcal Infections - epidemiology; Pneumococcal Infections - microbiology; Prevalence; Serotyping; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Streptococcus pneumoniae - classification; Streptococcus pneumoniae - drug effects; Streptococcus pneumoniae - isolation & purification; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination - pharmacology; Uganda - epidemiology; Uganda; Africa; Kampala, Uganda; Antibiotic resistance; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Human; Prevalence; Drug susceptibility test; Upper respiratory tract; Nasopharynx; Respiratory system; Resistance; Streptococcaceae; Antibiotic; Bacteria; Micrococcales; Antibacterial agent; Child
• ISSN: 0924-8579; 1872-7913
• DOI: 10.1016/S0924-8579(00)00345-9

There are few data on antibiotic-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae in Uganda. A total of 191 healthy children in Kampala, Uganda were screened for nasopharyngeal carriage of S. pneumoniae; 118 (62%) of the children were carriers. Antimicrobial susceptibility and serotype of 115 strains was determined. Ninety-six (83.5%) of the isolates were of intermediate resistance to penicillin and 19 (16.5%) were susceptible. All strains were susceptible to cefotaxime. The rates of resistance to other drugs were trimethoprim–sulphamethoxazole (83.5%), tetracycline (28.7%) and chloramphenicol (10.4%). All strains were susceptible to rifampicin, erythromycin and clindamycin. Serogroups 6, 9, 14, 19 and 23 accounted for 80% of the isolates. These data show that the rate of carriage of antibiotic-resistant pneumococci by children is high in Kampala, Uganda.