Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Urinary Quinolone-resistant Escherichia coli from Selected Patients Admitted at General Hospitals in Abuja Municipal, Nigeria

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern, of urinary quinolone-resistant Escherichia coli from selected General Hospitals in Abuja Municipal, Nigeria.

Study Design: Cross sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Microbiology, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, between November 2023 and October 2024.

Methodology: A total of 200 samples were collected from urine of patients. Escherichia coli was isolated from the samples using standard cultural and microbiological methods. Antibiotic susceptibility testing and minimum inhibitory concentrations were evaluated as described by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI).

Results: 50 out of 200 (25.0%) of the samples collected had E.coli. 10 isolates out of the 50 were quinolone resistant. Antibiotic resistance in the isolates in decreasing order were as follows: Ciprofloxacin (100.0%), Streptomycin (100.0%), Ampicillin (100.0%), Cefoxitin (80.0%), Cotrimoxazole (80.0%), Ceftazidime (70.0%), Gentamicin (50.0%), Gentamicin (50.8%), Naladixic Acid (40.0%), Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid (40.0%), and Ofloxacin; (40.0%). All isolates were resistant to AMP and CIP. All the E. coli isolated were MAR isolates. All the MAR isolates had MAR indices of ≥ 0.2. Most isolates were MDR isolates. There was also a PDR and XDR isolates among the selected tested E coli isolates.

Conclusion: The E. coli isolates showed high resistance to Ampicillin, ciprofloxacin and streptomycin, and all isolates were MAR, and had MAR indices of ≥ 0.2. The presence of MDR isolates is a public concern and urgent steps must be taken to address its spread. There is also a need to strengthen strategies and programmes to reduce AMR in Nigeria.