| dc.description.abstract | Most microbes have become resistant to antibiotic drug therapy, aggravating this public
health problem; with bacterial diseases becoming harder to eliminate. When new antibiotics
are introduced in the market, gradual resistance emerges depending on how it has been
dispensed. This study was done to determine and compare the resistance patterns of three
enteric pathogens (Salmonella, Shigella and E. coli) from isolates of selected rural and urban
populations. Faecal samples were obtained from children under the age of 5 years at
Mbagathi (urban) and Siaya (rural) District Hospitals in Kenya. Isolation and identification of
samples was done on the basis of characteristics on differential media (Xylose Lysine
Deoxycholate and MacConkey), and by use of the standard biochemical methods. The strains
of bacteria obtained were indiscriminately subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing using
the single disc diffusion method. The zones of inhibition were measured in millimeters and
recorded as the lowest concentration of drug preventing growth, and depending on the zone
sizes they were classified as susceptible (S), intermediate (I) or resistant (R) to generate the
data for comparison. These were compared against control strains. Upon isolation of the
resistant strains, plasmid DNA analysis was carried out, and a comparison was made of the
two populations; rural and urban. The findings from this study showed that out of 279
samples selected, 26.52% were E.coli, 11.08% Shigella and 1.08% Salmonella. Ampicillin
faced most resistance; over 90% of the organisms were resistant to it. Amoxicillin-clavulanic
acid, gentamycin, kanamycin and nalidixic acid were fairly effective in clearing pathogens in
both populations. Cefepime, cefetazidime, chloramphenicol, ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin
were highly efficacious. This variation in resistance patterns could be due to exposure to
antibiotics in the urban population. Proper diagnosis of infections and cautious consumption
of antibiotics may reduce and eliminate this menace of antibiotic drug resistance.
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