Abstract

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The present study investigates the prevalence of antibiotic resistance and resistance patterns among bacterial isolates from liquid wastes and waste dump soils of hospitals in Owerri metropolis Nigeria. The bacterial isolates were identified on the basis of standard cultural, morphological and biochemical characteristics. Antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates was tested by disc diffusion method. A total of 115 bacteria species belonging to 11 different genera were isolated from the hospital waste water and waste dump soils. Multidrug resistance was observed in all the waste water and waste dump soil isolates. The waste water and waste dump soil isolates were all resistant to Amoxycillin, Tetracycline, Gentamycin, Erythromycin and Chloramphenicol. However, of the waste water isolates, 4 (66.7%) were sensitive to Zinnacef, 3 (50%) to Nitrofurantoin and Pefloxacin, while 2 (33.3) were sensitive to Ciprofloxacin. While in the waste dump soils, all the isolates except Bacillus spp. 4 (80%) were also sensitive to Nitrofurantoin, while all except Bacillus spp. and S. aureus 3 (60%) were sensitive to Zinnacef . The high prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria with various degrees of resistance to antibiotics observed in this study could represent a potential public health risk. This will contribute to the hazards of poorly managed hospital waste. To help check this growing problem of antibiotics resistance, this study recommends a national policy on health care waste management and formulation of a national drug policy in Nigeria.

Keywords: Antibiotics resistance, environmental bacteria, hospital wastes, public health