Epidemiological Distribution of Serratia marcescens from Environment and Human Subjects in Ile Ife South Western Nigeria: An Update

This study investigated the epidemiological distribution of Serratia marcescens among hospitalized individuals, hospital environments and halls of residence of Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile Ife, Osun state. Two hundred and twenty samples from clinical and non-clinical sources were collected with ethical clearance approval (ERC/2018/09/02) from the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex,(OAUTHC) Ile-Ife, Osun State advisory committee. They were cultured on sorbitol Mcconkey agar infused with 200 u/ml of colistin for the selective isolstion of serratia species. Non-duplicate colony was picked from each cultures and characterized biochemically with the use of microbat 24 E kit to identify various species isolated. Thirteen (61.9%) serratia marcescens out of the 21 (9.55%) serratia sp. isolates were recovered from the study area. Other species isolated were S. fonticola (4.8%), S. Rubidae (4.8%) and serratia liquefaciens complex (28.6%) serratia species were significantly associated with the community (OAU) than the hospital (OAUTHC) (pË?0.001). Clinical research should be targeted on alternative pathogens control techniques as quorum quenching. Communities also requires enhanced capabilities for the detection of possible resistance mechanisms which must be adapted by private as well as public laboratories to implement appropriate infection control practices, and to prescribe effective chemotherapeutic agents against pathogenic strains of S.Marcescens in the study area.

Author(s): J Omololu Aso and Nusrat Jehan Awoderu BO

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