Original Research Article
Year: 2023 | Month: March | Volume: 13 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 258-268
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20230329
Causes of Bacterial and Fungal External Eye Infections and Their Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns Among Children in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria
Chukwuoha Chigozie Mary1, Esenwah Emmanuel Chukwudi2, Dongo John Adele3, Nlemolisa Oluchi Rose Collete4, Azuamah Young Christian2, Omoregie Emmanuel Eghosa5, Daniel-Nwosu Edith Ifenweoge2
1Mercy Eye Clinic, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria
2Department of Optometry, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria
3Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
4Department of Microbiology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria
5Department of Ophthalmology, General Hospital, Iruekpen, Edo State, Nigeria
Corresponding Author: Chukwuoha Chigozie Mary
ABSTRACT
This study is a cross-sectional survey to isolate and identify the causes of bacterial and fungal external eye infections among children in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. It also considered the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the organisms identified. Ocular samples of the discharge and corneal scrapings were collected from infected eyes of 460 children included in the study. Culture and microscopy with gram staining of samples, biochemical tests were used for the identification of bacterial and fungal colonies. Susceptibility tests were also carried out to ascertain the susceptibility pattern of the organisms. Statistical analysis was done with the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS), version 20.1,using chi-square, analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation test and simple percentage. P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Out of the ocular samples collected, 132(14%) yielded positive culture growth. Of this number, 126 (95.5%) yielded bacterial growth, while 6(4.55%) yielded fungal growth. Among the bacterial isolates, gram positive bacteria were the most prevalent (88.1%). Coagulase negative staphylococcus aureus was the predominant isolate (34.8%) causing bacterial eye infections, followed by staphylococcus aureus (22.73%). Aspergillus sp. was the common cause of fungal infections on the cornea. Ceftriaxone had the highest susceptibility effect on all bacterial isolates (96%), followed by vancomycin (95.6%). Gram positive isolates were highly sensitive to ceftriaxone and ofloxacin (95.4% each), clindamycin (91.5%) and vancomycin (90.8%) while gram negative isolates were totally sensitive to ciprofloxacin (100%) and highly sensitive to clindamycin and ceftriaxone (97.4% each).
Key words: Bacteria, Fungi, External eye, Isolation, Antibiotics, Susceptibility.