Effect of Salmonella enterica ser. Typhi on the gut population of Lactobacillus spp. among typhoid patients in Ondo State, Nigeria

Aims: Aberrant gut microbiota has been linked to frequent exposure to enteric pathogens, a condition capable of causing various adverse effects on human health. In this study, we looked into how the typhoid fever condition might affect the lactobacillus population in the human gut. Methodology and results: A total of 424 faecal samples were collected from consented participants, who included 191 patients and 233 apparently healthy individuals. Lactobacilli and Salmonella enterica ser. Typhi ( S . Typhi) was isolated from samples cultured on de Man Rogosa and Sharpe agar (MRS) and xylose lysine deoxycholate agar (XLD), respectively. The overall prevalence of S. Typhi was 104(24.5%), of which 83(43.5%) were patients and 21(9.0%) were healthy controls. Lactobacillus spp. load in patients was significantly lower among the febrile, S . Typhi-positive patients with an average population of 5.5 ± 0.96 log 10 cfu/g compared with the febrile, but S . Typhi-negative patients with 6.41 ± log 10 cfu/g and the apparently healthy respondents with 7.34 ± 1.1 log 10 cfu/g. All the randomly selected S . Typhi strains obtained from both groups of respondents were sensitive to tetracycline and trimethoprim but resistant to chloramphenicol. Resistance to ciprofloxacin (18.2%) and ofloxacin (9.1%) was observed among the strains isolated from the febrile typhoid patients. Conclusion, significance and impact of study: This study has demonstrated an association between the population of Lactobacillus spp. and the presence of S . Typhi in the human gut. In order to ensure the recovery of beneficial bacteria during and after the treatment of infections, it is crucial to promote critical research into new treatment methods.