PLoS ONE (Jan 2020)

Characterization of Campylobacter associated gastric enteritis among patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in a hospital in Accra, Ghana.

  • Akua Obeng Forson,
  • David Nana Adjei,
  • Michael Olu-Taiwo,
  • Marjorie Ntiwaa Quarchie,
  • Harry Richard Asmah

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0240242
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 10
p. e0240242

Abstract

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BackgroundCampylobacter infections in HIV positive patients often present with substantial mortality and morbidity when compared to HIV negative patients.AimThis study assessed the prevalence of Campylobacter, antibiotic resistance phenotypes and genetic factors, and risk of Campylobacter infection associated with living in close proximity to domestic animals in HIV patients with gastric enteritis at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana.MethodsResistance to different antibiotics was assessed with Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. In addition, all the Campylobacter isolates were tested for ampicillin (blaOXA-61), erythromycin (aph-3-1), tetracycline tet(O), streptomycin (aadE), and the energy-dependent multi-drug efflux pump (cmeB) resistance genes using multiplex polymerase chain reaction.ResultsOut of a total of 140 (97 females and 43 males) tested patients, 71 (50.7%) patients were positive for Campylobacter coli. Female patients aged within 31-40 years (31.6%) and 41-50 years (31.6%) had high frequency of Campylobacter infection. Most of the infected patients lived in close proximity to chickens (53.5%), however, some patients (14.1%) lived in close proximity to goats. Phenotypic resistance evaluation revealed widespread resistance to ampicillin (100%), tetracycline (100%), ciprofloxacin (71.8%), erythromycin (69%), and gentamicin (49.3%). However, limited no of isolates contained blaOXA-61 (1.41%), cmeB (7.0%) and tet(O (7.0%) resistance genes.ConclusionHIV patients with gastric enteritis were infected with resistant Campylobacter coli. Further studies are required to examine correlation of infected patients with C. coli and risk of living in close proximity to poultry birds. There is the need for routine investigation of Campylobacter in patients with gastroenteritis in order to assist in the development of strategies for combating diseases involving resistant zoonotic bacteria strains.