RECENT TRENDS ON BACTERIAL-RESISTANCE TO ANTIBIOTICS

Antimicrobial resistance has become a major medical and public health problem. The main factor responsible for development and spread of bac terial resistance is injudicious use of antimicrobial agents which has resulted in most gram positive and gram negative bacteria continuousl y developing resistance to the antimicrobials in regular use at differ ent time periods. In East Africa, among E. coli in urinary tract infec tions, more than 80% are currently resistant to ampicillin, cotrimoxaz ole and tetracycline while more than 80% of the isolates are still sus ceptible to nitrofurantoin, gentamicin and third generation cephalospo rins. Penicillin G resistant strains of pneumococci were first reporte d in 1967 but had gradually increased to about 20% in 1991. Among grou p A streptococci, all natural strains are still sensitive to penicilli n G while resistance to tetracycline has reached alarming proportions. In Tanzania, more than 65% of N. gonorrhoeae isolates are beta-lactam ase producers, however, spectinomycin, second and third generation cep halosporins and ciprofloxacin are effective against most strains. Vibr io choleraee 01 strains resistant to multiple antibiotics are widely s pread globally, however, there are recent reports indicating that with drawal of the drugs can lead to loss of the antibiotic resistance fact ors. Despite varied susceptibility of N. meningitidis strains world wi de, isolates in Tanzania are still susceptible to commonly available d rugs including penicillin G and chloramphenicol. Available methods for control of spread of bacterial resistance include rational use of ant imicrobial agents including control in animal husbandry, change to new er antimicrobials, rotational use of drugs and constant surveillance f or emerging bacterial resistance.