Antimicrobial resistance of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli isolated from children under the age of 5 years from Ifakara, Tanzania.
Diarrhea caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria is an important public health problem among children in developing countries. The prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli in 346 children under 5 years of age in Ifakara, Tanzania, were studied. Thirty-eight percent of the cases of diarrhea were due to multiresistant enterotoxigenic E. coli, enteroaggregative E. coli, or enteropathogenic E. coli. Strains of all three E. coli categories showed high-level resistance to ampicillin, tetracycline, co-trimoxazole, and chloramphenicol but were highly susceptible to quinolones. Guidelines for appropriate use of antibiotics in developing countries need updating.
Vila
J
J
Departament de Microbiologia, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS (Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pí i Sunyer), Barcelona 08036, Spain. vila@medicina.ub.es
Vargas
M
M
Casals
C
C
Urassa
H
H
Mshinda
H
H
Schellemberg
D
D
Gascon
J
J
D002675:Child, Preschool; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013636:Tanzania
D004269:DNA, Bacterial