Scientific publications
Gabriel Cedric Bessala
Germanie Delaisie Abomo
Yolande Francine Onomo Medja
Michèle Debora Abanda Assena
Anaïs Alexandra Dooh
Félix Essiben
Micheline Mimché
Journal of Life Science and Public Health
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an enormous global health burden, particularly in maternity and neonatal wards of hospitals where patients are extremely vulnerable to healthcare-associated infection. The objective of this study was to investigate the presence and cefotaxime-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (CRGNB) antimicrobial resistance profiles of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae contaminating environmental surfaces within Yaoundé, Cameroon maternity hospitals. From January to November, 1,519 environmental samples were collected from four maternity hospitals: Yaoundé Central Hospital (YCH), Cité-Verte District Hospital (CVDH), Nkolndongo District Hospital (NDH), and Odza District Hospital (ODH). The samples were cultured on selective media for CRGNB and antimicrobial susceptibility tested by conventional methods. CRGNB were isolated from all facilities with the highest contamination rate in NDH (230 ± 97 CFU/cm²). Significant space and time differences (p < 0.05) were observed with the peaks during March to May. Seventy-one CTX-resistant Enterobacteriaceae were recovered, of which the majority came from YCH (35.2%) and CVDH (29.6%), comprising E. coli (54%) and K. pneumoniae (46%). Alarming was the observation that all the ESBL-producing E. coli (n = 14) and K. pneumoniae (n = 4) isolates were 100% resistant to meropenem but 100% susceptible to imipenem and colistin. Similarly high rates of resistance were also found for aztreonam and cefotaxime (92.9%). The finding of meropenem resistance in ESBL-producing environmental isolates from maternity wards is a significant public health issue, indicating emerging porin- and efflux-mediated carbapenem resistance. Increased infection control, antimicrobial stewardship, and regular environmental surveillance are urgently necessary to block dissemination of such multidrug-resistant pathogens in healthcare facilities.
