Abstract:
Abstract
Back ground: Enterococci are becoming the most important public health concern emerging
as multidrug resistant organisms around the world. HumanImmune-deficiency Virus positive
clients are more likely to be affected, because of their immune-compromised status,
hospitalization and use of antibiotics, repeatedly. Above this vancomycin resistant
Enterococci (VRE) have been increasing worldwideand in Africa particularly in
Ethiopia.Data on the prevalenceand associated risk factors of VRE were scarce in Dessie,
Ethiopia.
Objective: This study wasaimed to assess the prevalence of vancomycin resistant
Enterococci and its associated risk factors among HIV positive and negative clients.
Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from February to May, 2017,
on 300 clients on anti-retroviral therapy and health blood donorsat Dessie referral Hospital.
Data were gathered with pre-tested structured questionnaire and stool samples were collected
and inoculated on to bile esculin agar andpresumptive colonies were inoculated in to brain
heart infusion broth containing 6.5% NaCl for selective identification of Enterococci.
Antibiotic susceptibility tests were done using Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method. Data were
analyzed using SPSS version-22 software package. In all cases p-value of <0.05 was
considered as statistically significant.
Result: A total of 300 study participants were enrolled in this study, of which173 (57.7%)
were females with mean age 34.4, range 19-73 years. The overall prevalence of Enterococci
was 112/300 (37.3%), of this prevalence of VRE was 6.3%. From all isolates the prevalence
of VRE among HIV positive and negative clients was 5/85 and 2/27, respectively.Resistance
pattern to gentamycin, ampicillin, penicillin & Erythromycin, were; 37.5%, 34.8%,
34.8%&22.3%, respectively. Prevalence of multi drug resistance was (29.5%).
Conclusion and recommendation:The high prevalence of VRE and multi drug resistant
Enterococci in this study signals the emergence of VRE and other antimicrobials
resistantEnterococci.So there should be a need to perform continuous surveillance, rational
use of antibiotics and more detailed study using phenotypic and genotypic methods.
Key words: VRE, HIV, Enterococcus, antibiotic resistance, Ethiopia
