Research Article

Antibiotic Resistance Profile of Wastewater Isolates Obtained From University of Calabar Teaching Hospital and General Hospital Calabar, Nigeria.

Akubuenyi F.C1*, G.E. Arikpo1, C.J. Ogugbue2, J.F. Mfongeh3, E. V. Akpanumun3
1 Department of Biological Sciences, Cross River University of Technology, Cross River State, Nigeria.
2 Department of Microbiology, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
3 Department of Biological Sciences, Cross River University of Technology, Cross River State, Nigeria
* Corresponding author: akubuenyifc@nsmjournal.org.ng
Published: Jun, 2011
DOI: 10.67614/njm.2011.b6l45lpp
Pages: 2243 – 2250

Abstract

The antibiotic resistance profile of bacterial isolates obtained from the wastewaters of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) and the General Hospital Calabar (GHC), Cross River State, Nigeria, was determined using the disc-diffusion method. A total of 125 bacterial isolates from both hospitals` wastewater comprising of the following genera: Escherichia; Salmonella; Shigella; Klebsiella; Pseudomonas; Streptococcus; Bacillus; Staphylococcus and Proteus, were tested for their antibiotic resistance capability. Data obtained showed that all the isolates from both hospitals had multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR). Over fifty five percent of the isolates from UCTH and 12.5% of the isolates from GHC exhibited resistance to the antibiotics tested (amoxycilin, gentamycin, augumetin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, streptomycin, and cotrimoxazole). Amongst the UCTH isolates, 5 different antibiotic patterns were observed ranging from 6-12 MAR combinations while 8 different antibiotic resistance patterns ranging from 4-12 MAR combinations were obtained from the GHC isolates. All the UCTH isolates were resistant to the antibiotics commonly used in the hospital (amoxicillin, augumentin, chloramphenicol, gentamycin, erythromycin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, streptomycin and cotrimaxazole) except Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas which are sensitive to ciprofloxacin. The same trend was obtained for the GHC isolates for the commonly used antibiotics (chloramphenicol, erythromycin, tetracycline, streptomycin, cotrimaxazole) in GHC. The lowest resistance of 25% was obtained for ofloxacin which was one of the antibiotics rarely used in both hospitals. Results obtained show the important public health hazard associated with the discharge of untreated hospital wastewater into the environment.

Keywords

antibiotics bacterial isolates resistance hospital wastewater

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How to Cite

F.C, A., Arikpo, G., Ogugbue, C., Mfongeh, J., & Akpanumun, E. V. (2011). Antibiotic Resistance Profile of Wastewater Isolates Obtained From University of Calabar Teaching Hospital and General Hospital Calabar, Nigeria.. Nigerian Journal of Microbiology, 25(1), 2243 – 2250. https://doi.org/10.67614/njm.2011.b6l45lpp

A. F.C, G. Arikpo, C. Ogugbue, J. Mfongeh, and E. V. Akpanumun, "Antibiotic Resistance Profile of Wastewater Isolates Obtained From University of Calabar Teaching Hospital and General Hospital Calabar, Nigeria.," Nigerian Journal of Microbiology, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 2243 – 2250, June 2011. doi: 10.67614/njm.2011.b6l45lpp

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