Sensitivity of Salmonella and Shigella to antibiotics and chemotherapeutic agents in Sudan

Abstract

Antibacterial sensitivity tests were done for 513 salmonellae and 133 shigellae. Salmonella strains were divided into three groups: 336 Salmonella typhi, 134 salmonellae isolated from cases of gastroenteritis and 43 salmonellae isolated from non-human sources. All salmonellae and shigellae were sensitive to chloramphenicol. All salmonellae were sensitive to co-trimoxazole, while shigellae showed 18% of resistance. Salmonella resistance to ampicillin was low compared with a high resistance in shigellae. No resistance to from non-human sources. In analysing the resistance pattern in the 4-year period 1979-1982, it was found that there was a rising resistance to ampicillin and sulphonamides in salmonellae. In contrast there was no significant increase in resistance to tetracycline. Tetracycline resistance was high in cases of salmonellae isolated from gastroenteritis. A comparatively low resistance to streptomycin was detected in Salmonella isolated from non-human sources.