Antibiotic susceptibility and genotypes of non-typhi Salmonella isolates from children in Kilifi on the Kenya coast

A 4-year retrospective study was undertaken at the Kilifi District Hospital on the coast of Kenya to determine the antibiotic-susceptibility patterns and genotypes of non-typhi Salmonella. (NTS) isolates from children. Overal l, during the period 1994-97, positive cultures were obtained from 543 (14% ) of 3885 blood samples, 364 (30%) of 1210 stool samples and 143 (11%) of 1 283 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples. NTS were isolated from 151 (27.8%), 72 (19.8%), and 11 (7.7%) of these positive cultures, respectively. The tot al 234 NTS isolates were serotyped: the most frequent were Salmonella enter ica serotype Enteritidis (41%) and S. enterica serotype Typhimurium (38%). Antibiotic sensitivity testing was done using ampicillin (amp), chloramphen icol (chl), gentamicin (en), co-trimoxazole (s-t), cefuroxime (cxm), ciprof loxacin (cip), cefotaxime (ctx), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid 20 mu g-10 mu g (amc), and tobramycin (tob). Of the 234 isolates, 43 were sensitive to al l antibiotics tested and 133 were multiple drug resistant (MDR). The most c ommon resistance type seen was amp, cn, cxm, s-t, ctx, amc, tob (36/234). O ur results indicate a high proportion of MDR amongst the isolates from Kili fi. We conclude that 2 major serotypes of salmonella, i.e., S. enterica ser otype Typhimurium and S. enterica serotype Enteritidis, of micro-epidemic n ature that have been previously unrecognized in Kilifi an responsible for i nfection in Kilifi district on the coast of Kenya and that over half (56.8% ) of total NTS isolates are MDR.