Resumen

Introduction: Enteric fever is caused by Salmonella enterica serovars Typhi and Paratyphi A, B and C. It is a significant public health issue in Pakistan, which is exacerbated by a high level of resistance some isolates display to drugs routinely used in treatment. Azithromycin may be a treatment option for such isolates. Methodology: We determined the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of Salmonella Typhi and Paratyphi isolates against azithromycin in an attempt to gauge its feasibility as a therapeutic option. The MICs were also compared with corresponding disc diffusion zone sizes to see if there was consistency between the two tests. We tested 45 Salmonella enterica isolates using E-tests for MIC detection and azithromycin discs with a concentration of 15µg/ml for disc diffusion testing. Results: Salmonella Typhi, Salmonella Paratyphi A, and Salmonella Paratyphi C isolates demonstrated MICs of 2-12mg/L against azithromycin, suggesting that the antibiotic could be used for therapeutic purposes. For Salmonella Paratyphi B, the MICs were 2-48 mg/L. The higher MIC indicates a need for caution when considering use of azithromycin for Salmonella Paratyphi B infections without first testing for the MIC. There was a close correlation between MICs and zone sizes which was statistically significant. Conclusions: Our results indicate azithromycin is a potential therapeutic option for enteric fever. Standardized laboratory testing methods and interpretation for azithromycin against Salmonella enterica would allow laboratories to report upon this antibiotic with confidence.

Palabras clave: Salmonella enterica; typhoid; enteric fever; azithromycin; resistance; Pakistan.

2013-02-05   |   388 visitas   |   Evalua este artículo 0 valoraciones

Vol. 5 Núm.5. Mayo 2011 Pags. 391-395 J Infect Developing Countries 2011; 5(5)