Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern of Shigella Sonnei Isolated from Stool Samples of Diarrhoeal Patients in Selected Health Facilities in Benue South, Nigeria

Context: This study investigated the resistance pattern of Shigella sonnei among diarrhoeal patients across selected health facilities in Benue South, Nigeria. There is a rise in antimicrobial resistance in Shigella spp. within resource-limited settings such as Benue South, where antibiotics are often prescribed empirically. Objective: This study aims to investigate the prevalence and antibiotic resistance pattern of Shigella sonnei in stool samples from diarrhoeal patients. Method: Four hundred stool samples were obtained from diarrhoeal patients attending selected health facilities across Benue South. Stool samples were analysed using morphological characteristics, Gram staining, biochemical tests, and Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion methods. Whole-genome sequencing was used to confirm the isolates. Results: The current findings from this study indicated an overall prevalence of 8.3% (95% CI: 5.5-10.9) of Shigella sonnei in sampled healthcare-attending patients. Okpokwu had the highest prevalence of 11.9% (n=400), Obi (6.1%), Otukpo (6.0%) and Apa (5.2%), respectively. Out of 33 confirmed Shigella sonnei isolates, 96% (32) were resistant to one or more classes of antibiotics, with ciprofloxacin, Amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and ceftriaxone recording 48.4% resistance, respectively. Gentamicin had the lowest resistance rate of 27.2%. None of the isolates was resistant to imipenem. Furthermore, there is a clustering of multidrug-resistant isolates in Okpokwu (57.9%) and Otukpo (50.0%), accounting for all 14 multidrug-resistant cases. Conclusion: High resistance to recommended antibiotics has been reported in this study. Further investigation of the resistance and virulence genes is vital for enhanced surveillance data.