Epidemiology and Sensibility Profile of Some Enteric Bacteria Isolated from Stool Samples in Some Douala-Cameroon Hospitals

Abstract

Background: Gastroenteritis caused by bacteria are a serious public health issue. Antibiotic resistance is common. This work described the epidemiological and resistance profile of bacteria involved in gastrointestinal infection in Douala, Cameroon. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to December 2017 on stool samples. Bacterial species were diagnosed on the basis of morphological, biochemical and physiological tests. The resistance profile on fifteen routine antibiotics was investigated using the disks diffusion method. Results: Out of 250 stool samples examined, 206 were positive, 129 (62.62%) samples had only one bacterial species and 77 (37.38%) more than one species. 301 pathogenic bacteria were identified of which Escherichia coli represented more than one third (33.89%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (22.26%), Enterobacter aerogenes (11.96%), Salmonella sp (10.30%), Citrobacter freundii (9.97%), Yersinia enterocolitica (4.65%), Shigella flexneri (3.99%), Serratia marcescens (2.33%) and Proteus sp (0.66%). The antibiogram showed high resistance to Tetracycline, Amoxycillin, Amoxycillin + clavulanic acid, Doxycycline and Cotrimoxazol. Imipenem and Amikacin were the most active Conclusion: The present findings provide additional information for the control of gastrointestinal tract infections in Douala.