CAMPYLOBACTER ENTERITIS IN ZARIA, NORTH WESTERN NIGERIA

Abstract

Soon after the first isolation of Campylobacter from stool in Zaria, North western
Nigeria, a zero isolation rate was reported among the stools of paediatric diarrhoeal
patients in the same region. For over two decades there has been no other study on human
Campylobacter in that region despite reports of Campylobacter isolations from other
parts of the country. This study aimed at finding the role of Campylobacter as agent of
diarrhoea in the region and the characteristics of the bacteria. Two hundred and sixty one
faecal samples from children with diarrhea and 100 samples from children without
diarrhoea (control) attending paediatric clinics were plated directly onto Butzler-type
selective medium. Campylobacter colonies were flat, moist, translucent and non
haemolytic. The bacteria were Gram negative, Oxidase positive, Catalase positive and
motile. The data were analyzed by SPSS 16, Pearson chi-square and Logistic regression
model with a p – value ≤ 0.05, were used to assess the degree of significance of the
categorical variables.
Isolation rate of 15.3% was recorded among the children with diarrhoea, and none
among the controls. Consumption of chicken within the household adjusted odd ration
[AdOR] 6.6, 95% CI (0.10, 0.73), contact with animals [AdOR] 9.8, 95% CI (0.10,
0.60), untreated well water [AdOR] 16.0, 95% CI (0.06, 0.09) and canned milk as
supplementary feed [AdOR] 4.9, 95% CI (0.10, 0.87) were independently found to be
possible sources and risks factors for the infection. The isolates showed high sensitivity
to gentamicin (100%), nalidixic acid (100%), tetracycline (95%), ciprofloxacin (92.5%),
chloramphenicol (90%) and erythromycin (82.5%). Only 55% and 50% of the isolates
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were sensitive to co-trimoxazole and amoxicillin respectively. None of the isolates
produced beta-lactamase. Campylobacter jejuni was more prevalent than C coli. All the
four biotypes of C. jejuni were demonstrated in contrast to previous studies in the
country. The study shows that Campylobacter is an important enteric pathogen in the
region as it is in other parts of Nigeria. Therefore, the organism should be sought for
routinely while investigating diarrhoeal illness in the country, particularly in the
paediatric patients.