Antimicrobial Resistance of Enteric Pathogens Isolated from Children with Acute Diarrhoea in Pattukkottai, Tamil Nadu, India

Acute gastroenteritis is a common infection among the children. The present study was conducted to study the bacterial pathogens in paediatric diarrhoeas and their antibiotic resistance pattern. Stool samples were collected between January 2012 to December 2012. A total of 118 patients with diarrhoea who were under five years of age. Stool samples were inoculated, isolated and identified using standard bacteriological methods. The majority of the isolates were E. coli (36.4%), followed by Aeromonas spp (22%), Salmonella spp. (18.6%), Shigella spp. (14.4%) and Vibrio spp (8.5%). All the bacterial isolates were 93.3% resistance to ampicillin. 92.4% to amoxicillin, 47% to cefixime, 42.7% to chlorampenical and 30.9% to nalidixic acid. The antimicrobial profile of all isolated bacteria Vibrio (45%), followed by Shigella (35.3%), Salmonella (32.3%), E.coli (30%), and Aeromonas (22.31%) showed high resistance rates against the tested 10 antimicrobials. The highest antimicrobial resistance rates were found against Ampicillin (93.3%) and Amoxicillin (92.4%). The isolates showed maximum sensitivity to Amikacin followed by cefotaxime, gentamycin, and ciprofloxacin. High level resistance to first line antimicrobials is due to unselected use of these drugs in low risk patients without complications. Periodic monitoring of drug resistance in enteric pathogens in each geographical area helps in choosing the appropriate antimicrobial agent for empiric therapy.