BACTERIAL-RESISTANCE TO ANTIBIOTICS IN-HO SPITAL PRACTICE - A DISTURBING REALITY IN THE TROPICS - CHNU-DE-COTONOU IN BENIN, MARCH DECEMBER 1992

Eleven antibiotics were tested against 1,194 Gram negative bacilli iso lated from urinary tract infections at the National University Hospita l Center at Cotonou. Among the betalactams tested, only cefotaxime rem ained active against most of the bacteria tested: 90 % of the strains of Escherichia coli and 75 % of the strains of Enterobacter cloacae we re sensitive. Ampicilline, on the other hand, had lost its activity ev en on strains which are usually the most susceptible. Thirteen percent of the E. coli strains were sensitive. This reduction in antibiotic a ctivity against bacterial strains in Cotonou, which concerned to vario us degrees the tetracyclines, chloramphenicol, cotrimoxazole, is less pronounced for the aminosides (gentamicine and netilmicine), and the q uinolones of which nalidixique acid was active against 83.9% of the st rains of E. coli. The low frequency of isolation of wild type strains (sensitive to betalactams) is probably the consequence of strong selec tion pressure due to a massive, and uncontrolled use of antibiotics in Cotonou.