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Spread of non-typable multiply resistantHaemophilus influenzae in a South African hospital

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Abstract

In July 1987 non-typableHaemophilus influenzae strains resistant to both ampicillin and chloramphenicol were isolated from the endotracheal aspirate of two children with pneumonia at Baragwanath Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa. A study was therefore undertaken to determine the carriage rates ofHaemophilus influenzae strains in the nasopharynx of children and staff in the index ward and in three control wards. Using a disc diffusion and an agar dilution method the susceptibility was determined of 100 isolates to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, rifampicin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, gentamicin, cefaclor, cefotaxime, tetracycline, sulphamethoxazole, trimethoprim and trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole (1:19). The overall carriage rate ofHaemophilus influenzae on admission was 76 %. In the index ward, children carrying multiply resistant strains differed from the other children in that there was a longer mean duration of hospitalization, a lower proportion of males, and a higher proportion who had previously received antibiotics. All ampicillin resistant strains were shown to produce beta-lactamase. Only four isolates belonged to serotype b, of which three were ampicillin resistant and chloramphenicol sensitive while one was resistant to both drugs. Nasopharyngeal spread of resistant non-typable strains ofHaemophilus influenzae was demonstrated to affect the management of paediatric patients in the hospital.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Pathology, South African Institute for Medical Research, PO Box 1038, 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa

    C. Heney, T. Baise, M. Khoosal, S. Vally, R. Barriere, J. Saunders & H. J. Koornhof

  2. Department of Paediatrics, Baragwanath Hospital and University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    F. Berkowitz & M. Cotton

Authors
  1. C. Heney
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  2. F. Berkowitz
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  3. T. Baise
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  4. M. Cotton
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  5. M. Khoosal
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  6. S. Vally
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  7. R. Barriere
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  8. J. Saunders
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  9. H. J. Koornhof
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Heney, C., Berkowitz, F., Baise, T. et al. Spread of non-typable multiply resistantHaemophilus influenzae in a South African hospital. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 9, 24–29 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01969528

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