Serotypes and antibiotypes of Salmonella isolated at the University Teaching Hospital of Yopougon, Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire from 2005 to 2009

Salmonella are responsive of gastroenteritis or bacteremia through fecal-oral transmission.Salmonella are also incriminated in meningitis particularly in patients with immune deficiency. The emergence of new serotypes and antibiotic resistance in Salmonella is a public health concern in developing countries. The aim of this study is to determine Salmonella serotypes circulated in the country and describe antibiotic resistance phenotypes. A retrospective study was conducted from January 2005 to December 2009. The strains were identified according to standard bacteriological methods. Serotypes were determined by slide agglutination using sera according to Kauffmann-White scheme. Antimicrobial susceptibility was performed using Kirby- Bauer method and interpretation was made according to the Comite de l'Antibiogramme–Societe Francaise de Microbiologi (CA-SFM). A total of 62 Salmonella strains were isolated from 2005 to 2009. These strains were identified in 53.2% of cases in blood cultures 16.1 % in stool and 3.2% in CSF. Typing was possible for 76.1% of strains. Among serotypes, non-typhoid Salmonella were prevalent, 76.1 versus 23.9% for Salmonella typhi. S. typhimuriumwas recorvered in 37% and Salmonella enteritidis 16%. The resistance rates ranged from 66.6 to 100% for amoxicillin, 50 to 75% for cotrimoxazole and 41.7 to 75% for chloramphenicol. Multidrugs resistance (to three or more antibiotics) rate was 34.1% for non-typhoid and 33.3% for S. typhi. Resistance to nalidixic acid was 38% and reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin 14%. This study highlight emergence of multidrug-resistant Salmonella to antibiotics in pediatric. Salmonella surveillance must be put in place in Cote d'Ivoire to improve epidemiological analysis of strains diversity.   Key words: Salmonella, pediatrics, serotype, antibiotic resistance