ABSTRACT:

Staphylococcus aureus is a major bacterial pathogen that causes different community and hospital-acquired infections. Over time, strains of S. aureus have become resistant to different antibiotics including penicillinase-resistant penicillins. Having data on the local antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of this pathogen is necessary for selection of appropriate antibiotics for empirical treatment of infections due to it. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of methicillin resistant Staphlococcus aureus in nasal swabs of children admitted in the pediatric ward of Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, Nigeria. One hundred and five consecutive isolates of MRSA were isolated from nasal swabs of children in pediatrics wards of EBSUTH using standard microbiology techniques. Susceptibility studies of MRSA isolates to various classes of antibiotics were determined by disc diffusion methods. The overall susceptibility of isolated MRSA strains to antimicrobial agents was 100% for vancomycin,10% for ciprofloxacin, 40% for ceftazidime, 25% forcefotaxime,48% forcefoxitin,10% for penicillin, 65% for erythromycin, 75% for clindamycin, 37% for amikacin, 18% for co-trimoxazole, 15% for oxacillin and 29% for cloxacillin. In conclusion prevalence of MRSA was low and other than vancomycin, clindamycin and erythromycin, none of the tested antibiotics are appropriate for empirical treatment of serious MRSA infection in our area.