ACTA FAC MED NAISS 2010; 27 (2): 55-62

Original article

UDC: 616.3-006:616-056.7

 

Bacterial Etiology of Diarrheal Syndrome

 

Biljana Miljković-Selimović1,2, Tatjana Babić1,3, Predrag Stojanović1,2

1National Referent Laboratory for Campylobacter and Helicobacter

2Institute for Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine in Niš, Serbia

3Center for Microbiology, Public Health Institute Niš, Serbia


SUMMARY

Bacteria which cause enterocolitis belong to the genera Salmonella, Shigella, Vibrio, to the thermophilic campylobacters, species of Yesrsinia enterocolitica (Y. enterocolitica) and Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), and to the group of diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli. The aim of this paper was to de-termine the frequency of isolation of these microorganisms as well as their resistance to antibiotics. Stool samples of the patients with acute diarrhea were investigated in one-year period. Bacteria were isolated and identified using standard micro-biological procedures. Sensitivity testing of Salmonella, Shigella and Yersinia was preformed against the panel of 12 antibiotics, while Campylobactera jejuni/coli against the panel of 7 antibiotics. Among enteric pathogens, Salmonella was the predominant bacterium, with Salmonella Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) on the first position. S. Enteritidis was resistant to one ore more antimicrobial drugs in 35.6%. Resistance to streptomycin was the most frequently reported - it occured in 21.8% of strains. Resistance to one or more antibiotics in Y. enterocolitica O3 was detected in 87.5% of strains. This bacterium expressed resistance against ampicillin in 87.5% as well. All Shigella spp. isolates were resistant against three or more drugs. Resistance to fluoroquinolones occured in 60% of campylobacter strains. In the examined samples, the predominant bacterium was Salmonella. In S. Enteritidis strains, a notable resistance occurred against streptomycine. Y. enterocolitica O3 expressed relatively high level of resistance, mostly against ampicillin. Multiple resistance occurred in the genus Shigella. In Campylobacter strains, resistance to fluoroquinolones (nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacine) was the most frequent.  

Key words: bacterial pathogens, Salmonella spp., diarrhea