Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of multidrug-resistant salmonella in a tertiary care hospital

This is a prospective laboratory based observational study on genotypic and phenotypic characterization of multidrug resistant salmonella conducted over a period of 1 year in a tertiary care hospital. About 2280 blood samples from patients suffering from PUO and suspected cases of enteric fever were received from various departments like medicine, paediatrics, septic labour ward, clean labour ward and general surgical ward. The main goal of the study was to identify resistance patterns as well as the mechanisms contributing to resistance in salmonella. Enteric fever due to S.Typhi was seen to be 4 times more than S.paratyphi A. 144 samples were positive for Salmonella Typhi among 2280 samples. Out of which, 16 isolates showed multidrug resistant & from these, 10 drug resistant plasmids were detected. By transformation process, plasmids were transformed into E.coli. Antimicrobial testing confirmed multi drug resistance in these 10 transformed E.coli (100%). These results confirm that plasmids are responsible for drug resistance in all the strains of MDR Salmonella. It is by careful selection of appropriate antibiotics according to antimicrobial testing will avoid the emergence of MDR Salmonella in the future.