PREVALENCE AND ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY PATTERN OF STAPHYLOCOCUS AUREUS STRAINS FROM CLINICAL SAMPLES IN MINNA, NIGERIA

Introduction: Staphylococci form the commonest agent of hospital infections and pose a major problem because of their growing resistance to the commonly used treatments. Aim: The aim of this study is to survey for the prevalence of antibiotic susceptibility pattern of Staphylococcus aureus strains from clinical samples to common antibiotics in Minna, Nigeria. Method: All samples from wound swab, stool, blood, urine, urethra, endocervical swab, eye, ear, breast abscess etc submitted to General hospital Minna were cultured on sterile blood agar and mannitol salt agar and incubated at 37 oC for 24hrs using standard microbiological techniques. Results: Of the 323 different specimens, (79.26%) S.aureus isolates were reported. The highest carrier rate of S. aureus (90.91%) occurred in wound while the least (72.01%) was reported in others. The isolates were highly susceptible to fusidic acid (26.41%) oxacilin (24.32%) vancomycin (20.75%) and trimethoprim (18.86%). Conclusion: fusidic acid with relatively higher susceptibility to clinical isolates of S.aureus can be used for management of these clinical conditions in our locality. The need for appropriate health education to reduce self medication and drug abuse is very imperative and desirous