Abstract

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Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Coagulase negative Staphylococci (CoNS) especially Staphylococcus epidermidis cause skin and soft tissue infections that are often challenging to treat. This study determines the antibacterial activity of locally made black soap on MRSA and CoNS isolated from skin and soft tissue infections. Two hundred (200) swab samples were collected from patients with skin/wound infections. Staphylococcus aureus and CoNS were isolated and identified using standard microbiological tests. MRSA was detected phenotypically using 30µg Cefoxitin discs. Also MecA and blaZ genes were detected from some of the samples using Polymarase Chain Reaction (PCR). Susceptibility of the isolated organisms to locally made black soap was determined using agar well diffusion method. The results revealed that 16% of the samples were identified as MSSA, 6% were MRSA and 10% were S. epidermidis. The highest prevalence of S. epidermidis of 24.3% and 17.6% was recorded from surgical and diabetic wounds. The result revealed that patients aged 50-59 and 20-29 years had the highest prevalence of MRSA with 50% each (P=0.134). Whereas the highest prevalence of S. epidermidis of 60% was recorded among patients aged 50-59 years. There was a slightly higher prevalence of MRSA in female patients (28.6%) compared to male patients (27.2%) (P=0.100) and a higher prevalence of S. epidermidis among males (37.8%) than among females (22.2%). The study revealed that black soap had antibacterial activity both on MRSA and S. epidermidis at all concentrations tested, with higher activity of 18mm and 17.55mm zone of inhibitions against MRSA and S. epidermidis at 50% concentration respectively. The study recommends further studies on the safety of using Black soap against wound infections

Keywords: Antibacterial activity, Black soap, MRSA, Staphylococcus epidermidis