Prevalence, serotypes, and drug resistance of nontyphoidal Salmonella among paediatric patients in a tertiary hospital in Guangzhou, China, 2014–2016

Abstract Purpose Nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) is a common pathogen responsible for acute gastroenteritis among all ages; however, information on the prevalence, serotypes, and antibiotic susceptibility of NTS isolates is limited. We aimed to explore the characteristics of NTS isolated from paediatric patients in Guangzhou, China. Methods This was a retrospective study of 4586 stool culture collected at Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center from 2014 to 2016. Results We identified 220 (4.80%) NTS isolates in stool samples. Fourteen serotypes were identified among the 220 NTS isolates. Salmonella serotype Typhimurium was the most common serotype, representing 69.09%. The highest rate of resistance was recorded in relation to AMP (76.61%), followed by SXT (29.95%), CTX (29.93%), CHL (29.77%), CAZ (23.20%), CIP (7.51%), and CFS (7.18%). The resistance rates of NTS and serotype Typhimurium to CAZ in 2015 were significantly higher than those in 2014. The average hospitalisation duration of inpatients infected by NTS resistant to three or more clinically important agents was significantly longer than that of patients infected with NTS with less antibiotic resistance. Conclusion NTS represents a major cause of paediatric gastroenteritis in Guangzhou, China, and the high level of resistance to third-generation cephalosporins coupled with increasing resistance to quinolones among isolated NTS from paediatric gastroenteritis is a serious public health concern that requires continued monitoring and rational usage of antibiotics.