Campylobacter species and drug resistance in a north Indian rural community.
Campylobacter species are known as agents of enteritis worldwide. However, rural community-based studies on Campylobacter infections are lacking. We carried out a prospective case-control study from July to December 2002 to investigate the prevalence and socio-epidemiological determinants of Campylobacter infection in a rural community in north India and the drug resistance of Campylobacter strains isolated from the community. Stool specimens from 348 subjects with diarrhoea and 351 age- and gender-matched asymptomatic controls were cultured for Campylobacter, Salmonella and Shigella. All Campylobacter strains were identified and tested for antibiotic susceptibility. Campylobacter species were isolated from 47 (13.5%) subjects with diarrhoea and 2 (0.6%) asymptomatic controls respectively (P<0.001). Campylobacter infection was significantly higher in children aged less than 5 years, families engaged in agriculture and persons who did not wash their hands with soap after peri-anal washing following defaecation. Campylobacter infections were more frequent than combined Salmonella and Shigella infections (47/348 vs. 15/351; P<0.001) in subjects with diarrhoea. Only two Campylobacter-infected individuals with diarrhoea had bloody stools. Antibiotic resistance of Campylobacter species was as follows: ampicillin 81.6%, ciprofloxacin 71.4%, tetracycline 26.5%, furazolidine 14.3%, gentamicin 10.2% and erythromycin 6.1%; 30.6% of strains were multidrug resistant. Increased quinolone resistance and multidrug resistance pose major risks for treatment failure.
Jain
Deepika
D
Department of Microbiology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow 226014, India.
Sinha
Sushmita
S
Prasad
Kashi N
KN
Pandey
Chandra M
CM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002167:Campylobacter / Q000187:drug effects*; D002169:Campylobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology; D004405:Dysentery, Bacillary / Q000453:epidemiology; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012423:Rural Health; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013045:Species Specificity
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents