High Resistance of Salmonella spp. and Shigella spp. in Blood and Stool Cultures from the Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal, 2015−2019

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an increasing global concern, particularly in Southeast Asian countries like Nepal. The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of Salmonella spp. and Shigella spp. among culture-positive bacterial isolates in blood and stool samples from 2015 to 2019 and their AMR pattern. Routinely collected data were abstracted from medical records and laboratory electronic databases of the Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital (STIDH), Kathmandu, Nepal. All culture-positive bacterial isolates from blood and stool samples were included in the study. Among 390 blood cultures positive for bacterial isolates, Salmonella spp. were isolated in 44%, with S. Typhi being the most frequent (34%). Antibiotic resistance was demonstrated among Salmonella spp. to ciprofloxacin (68%), ofloxacin (16%), amoxicillin (13%) and cotrimoxazole (5%). Of the 357 stool cultures positive for bacterial isolates, the proportion of Shigella spp. isolated was 31%. Antibiotic resistance among Shigella spp. was demonstrated to cotrimoxazole (59%), tetracycline (40%), amoxicillin (38%) and ciprofloxacin (25%). Salmonella spp. and Shigella spp. were the most predominant organisms among all the bacterial isolates in blood and stool cultures, respectively. Nalidixic acid was the antibiotic to which both Salmonella spp. and Shigella spp. were most resistant.